What Would Hamilton Say About China?

A few recent headlines have passed without much attention. The first story is our national debt has reached $30 trillion, while the second is the trade deficit for 2021 hit a record  $859.1 billion. Both stories were virtually ignored because the American people have just become numb to the topics, though they may be missing some wider ramifications, especially when it comes to trade.

Scare Tactics

Do the media and the left not understand how tax cuts work? Did they collude to protect Hunter Biden? Would you like to see just how much Iowa is improving its tax climate? Who is really to blame for the soaring prices we’re all paying these days? ITR Foundation sets the record straight below. Budget Growth & Tax Cuts: A […]

A Very Short Primer on What Causes Inflation

By Patrick Barron What almost everyone calls “inflation” is really a rise in the general price level. OK. But the real definition of “inflation” is inflation of the money supply. A rise in the general price level is a consequence of inflation of the money supply. Technically, the price level is determined by supply and demand, one of economic science’s […]

Is the Media Skipping Facts and Promoting Agendas?

Somehow Hunter Biden has managed to make himself the common thread that ties together a war in Eastern Europe with everything people dislike about politics in America, while pointing to this country’s  collective and completely justified distrust of the media.   We are not suggesting that Hunter’s activities in Ukraine have anything to do with Russia’s invasion.  But if American citizens […]

Iowa’s Gold Standard Tax Reform

For several years we have praised North Carolina for its historic tax reform. The Tarheel State is the gold standard for prudent state tax policy that pairs conservative budgeting with shrinking tax rates. Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa’s legislature have followed a similar path to deliver pro-growth tax reform by balancing restrained spending growth with income tax cuts. Years of prudent budgeting enabled the passage of historic tax reform this year, which will create a flat 3.9 percent income tax rate by 2026.

Remembering Bob Williams

By John Hendrickson This past week we lost a champion of liberty with the passing of Bob Williams. Bob served as a state legislator from Washington and he founded two state policy think tanks, Evergreen Freedom Foundation and the Washington Policy Center. As a lawmaker and as a public policy professional, Bob Williams was a budget hawk and a defender […]

Budget Growth & Tax Cuts: A Win-Win for Iowa

Let’s make something clear right away: Iowa’s state budget is going to continue to grow in the coming years. The only reason that point may be in question is Iowa’s Revenue Estimating Conference (REC), which has the difficult responsibility of estimating revenue for the state, recently released updated projections. The REC increased the current fiscal year (2022) estimate by 4.2 […]

Breaking Government Dependency by Empowering Citizens

Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation has been a consistent voice against the unnecessary and often harmful stimulus money that has flowed to state and local governments across the country and certainly here in Iowa. This isn’t a new topic (check out our related articles below); even prior to the pandemic we warned against the dangers of a growing federal deficit and […]

Somebody Must Call the Bingo Numbers!

Iowans recently scored a huge income tax reform victory but are still frustrated with out-of-control property taxes.  Additionally, how should cities, counties, and school districts use the nearly $1.2 billion in federal funds they received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)? ITR Foundation has solutions to those issues as well as some school choice stories for you to check […]

School Choice: Fighting Fear with Facts

Opponents of school choice want you to believe that school choice will hurt our public schools and that public money should not be used for private institutions. ITR Foundation Deputy Director Walt Rogers sat down with Need to Know host Jeff Angelo to discuss these myths surrounding school choice and why those objections do not hold water.  The discussion starts […]

Somebody Must Call the Bingo Numbers!

Reports that the Iowa Legislature eliminated the retirement income tax so that there would be enough people around to call the Bingo numbers have proven to be false.  Okay, while that thought may have never actually crossed anyone’s mind, our elected officials were certainly thinking about how to keep retirees in our state when they eliminated Iowa’s tax on retirement […]

Honesty is the Best Policy

Many people have been probably told by either a parent, grandparent, or even a teacher that “honesty is the best policy.” This rule should also apply to local governments. Taxpayers across the country are demanding answers on why local policymakers cannot deliver property tax relief. In response, a growing number of states are enacting strong Truth-in-Taxation laws that force local […]

How Do Iowans Want ARPA Funds Used?

Nothing says “overreach” like one government forcing another to spend $1 billion, but of course that’s the situation Iowa’s local governments find themselves in.  As we’ve written about, cities, counties, and school districts in Iowa have collectively received nearly $1.2 billion dollars from Uncle Sam through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and there are lots of ways to utilize […]

Tax Cuts, Freedom, and Political Horse Races

Last week the taxpayers of Iowa scored a monumental win thanks to the effort of Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature. The passage and signing of this historic tax relief bill will reduce the individual income tax to a flat rate of 3.9% by 2026, begin ratcheting down the corporate income tax to an eventual flat rate of 5.5%, and […]

Governor Kim Reynolds: Defender of Freedom and Conservatism

Image: Governor Kim Reynolds   “This campaign is more than a contest between two men. It is more than a contest between two parties. It is a contest between two philosophies of government,” stated President Herbert Hoover in describing his differences with then-Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. Governor Kim Reynolds, just as with President Hoover, offered a different philosophy of government […]