America’s Aversion to Taxes [NYT]
It may not be impossible for the American political system to accept the case for a bigger government, with higher taxes and better public services. Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Mr. Clinton passed tax increases to address budget deficits. Bruce Bartlett, a tax expert who worked in the administrations of Mr. Reagan and the elder Mr. Bush, says he believes that the deteriorating budget outlook will ultimately persuade the political class. “We need a few more years in which conservatives try to deal with the problem solely through spending,” he said. “We need to travel down this road a few more years and then people will recognize it is futile.”
Carbon Taxes Cut Debt, Cool Planet [Bloomberg]
Absent some profound shift in our penchant for burning coal, oil and gas, the Earth is expected to warm as much as 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the next 100 years, causing more weather-related destruction. It’s only responsible to force a shift away from fossil fuels by enacting a carbon tax. The U.S., which accounts for about 19 percent of global emissions today, should take the lead in doing so as part of broader tax reform.
Comparing Obama, Romney tax plans [DMWT]
Oh, right. Mitt is still at the top of the ticket.
Ryan’s Goal: Low Taxes and Small Government, not a Balanced Budget [TaxVox]
But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
Some Presidential Words On Federal Income Taxes [Forbes]
H. Ross Perot: "I’m delighted to pay big taxes. Big taxes mean big income.”
When the Boss Is a Screamer [WSJ]
You know who you are.
The boredom of boozeless business [The Economist]
Drink up!
Police: Pot plundered [OR]
Officer David Kimball, who had been working on reports from other incidents that day, took [David Allan] Thompson to a room to speak with him. Kimball left the room to retrieve his cellphone, telling Thompson he would be right back, according to the affidavit by police filed with District Judge Jay Weller. Kimball went to the patrol room to get his phone, noticing Thompson had followed him into that room. Thompson was escorted out of the patrol room and back into the original room by Kimball. After Thompson finished talking with the officer, he left the station. Kimball, according to the complaint, returned to the patrol room to finish the report and log evidence, including the marijuana, which he noticed was gone. After checking to see if another officer had bagged it, Kimball searched the desk. Kimball told the other officer what happened, and the two went to look for Thompson. Five minutes later, Kimball spotted Thompson walking past the police station and asked him “What did you do with the weed?” Thompson held out his left hand and placed the bag in the officer’s hand, according to the affidavit. Police arrested him and said they also found a suspected marijuana pipe in his pants pocket. Police said that back inside the station, Thompson apologized repeatedly to police, telling them, “I just couldn’t help myself. That bud smelled so good.”
