Latest Articles

To soak the rich, keep tax rates low

February 10, 2019  •  The Boston Globe

SOAK-THE-RICH tax schemes are in vogue on the left these days.

Democratic Party heartthrob Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a splash last month when she went on "60 Minutes" and proposed a 70 percent marginal tax rate on incomes over $10 million. "People are going to have to start paying their fair share in taxes," she said.

From Senator Elizabeth Warren comes a proposal to levy an annual wealth tax on the net worth of American households with more than $50 million in assets. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has drafted a proposal to sharply increase the federal estate tax, imposing a top rate of 77 percent on estates worth more than $1 billion.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles

The government shutdown was expected to damage the economy. It didn't.

February 6, 2019  •  The Boston Globe

A FREQUENT THEME during the recent partial government shutdown was the terrible toll it was taking on the American economy.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles

Bill Weld's true north is that he has no true north

February 3, 2019  •  The Boston Globe

I VOTED for Bill Weld in the 1990s, when he ran as a Republican for governor of Massachusetts. I voted for him in 2016, when he was the Libertarian nominee for vice president on a ticket with another former governor, Gary Johnson of New Mexico. If Weld runs for president in 2020, should I vote for him again? Should anyone?

The former Bay State governor has been making noises for a while about getting into the 2020 sweepstakes, though whether as a Republican or as a Libertarian hasn't been clear. On Feb. 15, he is scheduled to speak in New Hampshire at a "Politics & Eggs" breakfast co-hosted by Saint Anselm College and the New England Council — a traditional appearance for presidential wannabes.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles

In the Balkans, diplomacy wins a round

January 30, 2019  •  The Boston Globe

LATE LAST WEEK, by a razor-thin margin, Greek lawmakers voted to approve a deal normalizing relations with Macedonia, their country's northern neighbor. Chalk up a rare victory for common sense in the Balkans.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles

If Trump backs down on a wall, MAGA Nation won't bolt

January 27, 2019  •  The Boston Globe

A LOPSIDED MAJORITY of Americans thought President Trump was wrong to demand funding for a border wall as a condition of ending the government shutdown. According to a CBS News poll released Wednesday, 71 percent of the public said the dispute over the wall was "not worth" keeping hundreds of thousands of government workers from getting their paychecks. Asked what Trump should do now, 66 percent of respondents wanted him to agree to a budget even if it doesn't contain money for a wall; only 31 percent wanted him to dig in his heels.

Continue to the full article  |  More articles