A Truly Populist Social Security Reform
Come 2035, Social Security’s trust funds will run dry and, by law, benefits will automatically be cut by 20%. When that happens, Congress will have no option but to...
About: Veronique de Rugy
Posts by Veronique de Rugy
Passing Laws, Passing Taxes and Passing the Buck
What do the French digital services tax, the employers’ share of payroll taxes and the corporate income tax all have in common? They are rarely shouldered by those entities...
Colorado’s Paid Leave Proposal Ignores Trade-Offs
We can only shake our heads in dismay that yet another state is willingly jumping in headfirst to provide a benefit that will impose a considerable tax hike and...
Once Again, Uncle Sam Shirks Fiscal Responsibility in Budget Deal
If the last eight years have proven anything, it’s that nothing is more predictable than the spectacle of both parties making a deal to do away with the caps,...
Unemployment, Underemployment and the Comprehensive Jobless Rate
The problem with the headline unemployment rate produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is that it only counts people who aren’t working but want to work, defined as...
Numbers Betray Export-Import Bank Advocates
The reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank was the perfect display of Congress picking winners and losers, ignoring the facts and continuing to grow the size and scope of government....
Are Politicians Purveyors of Outrage?
One of the many problems with politicians is that it seems like they’re in the outrage business. Some act as if they won’t be needed unless there is some...
When Earth Day Predictions Go Predictably Wrong
As activists around the world recently celebrated Earth Day with warnings about the awful state of our planet, now seems like the right time to share the good news...
Bipartisan Support for Electric Vehicle Handouts Betrays Taxpayers
Bipartisanship isn't always what it's cracked up to be. As evidence, consider the latest attempt to extend corporate handouts for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers. ...
Government-mandated, Paid Leave Programs Proven Ineffective
Democrats and some conservatives wanting to implement a federal paid leave program somehow believe Americans will not suffer the same negative consequences suffered in every country that has such...
Trump’s Rose-Colored Forecasts Surprisingly Accurate — for Now
I’d actually like to note an area where the Trump White House has represented the impact of its policies more accurately, and even better, than any other administration: economic...
Politics Trump Policy Once Again in Budget Debate
The Trump administration just delivered a massive budget to Congress. A look at the numbers and the talking points drafted to defend it confirms that budgets favor politics over...
Statewide Rent-Control Laws Cannot Escape the Law of Supply and Demand
Rent control never delivers on the promise that it will multiply the affordable housing in high-value markets to serve middle- and lower-class families. It also always has negative consequences....
Trump Paving the Road to Overtime Pay With Good Intentions
The Trump administration has spent months re-examining the issue of overtime-pay regulation and seems close to a final decision. ...
Here We Go Again — Another Chaotic Christmas for Congress
The primary job of Congress is to pass a budget. Yet year after year, its members fail to do their job. This year is no different. ...
A Deficit-Happy Government May Lead to a Debt-Driven Financial Crisis
There are milestones you celebrate: a kid's first step, a round-numbered birthday, a marriage anniversary. And then there are the milestones you dread: Reaching $22 trillion in national debt...
Will Uprisings Thwart Green Central Planners?
It's clear that many ordinary people aren't willing to pay higher costs just to fulfill the grand visions of central planners. ...
Giving Thanks for Technology — and Air Taxis
On this Thanksgiving weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to remind Americans about some of the tremendous technological advancements we should be thankful for: better cellphones, safer cars,...
Digital Tax Fight Not Yet Over
There is something masochistic about the United States being the OECD's largest contributor, providing over 20 percent of the organization's annual budget only to have it consistently work to...
Another Republican Capitulation on Health Care
Republicans have established a clear pattern on health care. First, they rail against whatever big-government scheme Democrats propose. Then, after a half-hearted and incompetent effort to convince the public...