ITR Foundation Deputy Director Walt Rogers recently interviewed Dr. Ernie Goss, a professor of economics at Creighton University Heider College of Business. They covered many topics facing our economy today. Among them were: Supply chain: We do a monthly survey at Creighton University of supply managers and manufacturers, and we’ve been doing it for 25 years. This is the […]
When will the supply chain crisis be resolved? Americans are being told that they will just have to “deal” with empty store shelves and are starting to realize that “Build Back Better” is more of a wrecking ball. “Thanksgiving turkeys may be more expensive and harder to find. Buy your bird now, the experts say,” ran a headline in the […]
Nothing from the local elections here in Iowa, nor races across the country, will have changed the perception that this political environment is toxic for those who want to push a tax and spend agenda. Tuesday’s elections in Iowa and across the country are now in the books. Iowa voters went to the polls to elect candidates to school […]
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) is a leading conservative who is fighting for the America First agenda. Recently, Senator Hawley introduced the “Make in America to sell in America Act,” in an effort to address the supply chain crisis and the troubling dependency upon foreign countries for necessities. Americans are being confronted with increasing prices due to inflation and a clogged […]
Before President Biden left for a trip to Europe on Thursday, which will include climate talks and a meeting with Pope Francis, he was negotiating a new tax and spend plan with members of his own party in Washington. Apparently, Iowans weren’t the only ones opposed to his $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan, as the President was trying to […]
Our friends in Texas have published a new report entitled Reversing the Recovery, that details how the proposed Build Back Better spending plan could affect our national economy, including how it would impact each individual state. Their conclusion? Iowa would be responsible for shouldering $43 Billion in new debt and lose 51,000 jobs. From the report: “This plan includes heavy […]
Iowans are known for being plain-spoken and clear-thinking. Perhaps that’s why President Biden’s approval rating in Iowa has recently sunk to a dismal 31 percent. Afghanistan and COVID notwithstanding, another of the Biden Administration’s promises that seems to have failed the believability test is his insistence middle-class Iowans won’t be hurt in the pocketbook by his $3.5 trillion budget blueprint. […]
The Des Moines Register released a new poll that shows a 53 percent job approval rating for Governor Kim Reynolds. This is up from 51 percent from the last poll. Governor Reynolds approval rating is even higher, 57 percent, when asked how she has handled Iowa’s economy. The poll affirms that Iowa supports the conservative pro-growth policy agenda that Governor […]
The national debt is rapidly nearing $29 trillion, which is 25% more than our entire economy, and is orders of magnitude higher if you consider unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare. This threatens life as we know it and must be addressed now. Since the start of 2020, the debt has increased by $5.2 trillion. And President Joe Biden […]
It is often forgotten, but America’s conservative tradition was not based on free trade, but rather economic nationalism. The American System became the basis of conservative economic policy. This economic philosophy was developed by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists, continued by the Whigs under the leadership of Henry Clay, and was eventually adopted by the Republican […]
Image: Official White House Photos by Shealah Craighead and D. Myles Culle Iowa is a beacon of liberty against an onslaught of poor federal policies. President Biden has already proposed $6 trillion in new spending during his first 100 days in office. Iowa is awash with federal stimulus dollars. Iowa is frequently overlooked, but Governor Kim Reynolds is an example […]
“From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first. America first. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.” President Donald J. Trump, Inaugural Address, January 20, 2017 “Are the Republicans Switching Places […]
Photo by Keystone/Getty Images Andrew Mellon, who was considered the best Secretary of the Treasury since Alexander Hamilton, served in the presidential administrations of Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. Prior to his service as Secretary of the Treasury, Mellon was a successful financier and businessman. Mellon understood sound fiscal policy and he helped to advance policies […]
A recent editorial by the Des Moines Register asks whether the push for “smaller” government in Iowa has achieved a point where it is “too small to work.” The editorial argues that those who believe in a “smaller, more efficient” government fail to address how limited government can solve some of the policy problems confronting Iowa. In other words, the […]
Following a path of fiscal conservatism is never easy. Numerous interests are calling for either new or an expansion of existing taxpayer funding for programs. Policymakers are confronted with difficult decisions in crafting a budget and providing for the priorities of government, but at the same time trying to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. The pressure for policymakers to […]
Governor Kim Reynolds has made growing Iowa’s economy a priority. To accomplish this goal, she is working to ensure that Iowa has a competitive tax climate. As a result of following fiscal conservatism of prudent spending and lowering tax rates, Iowa was able to weather the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa’s fiscal house is in order with full […]
In a recent interview with Tax Education Foundation of Iowa, Dr. Ernie Goss, Professor of Economics at Creighton University, discussed current issues and economic trends for both Iowa and the nation. Goss noted that Iowa’s economy “is still about three or four percent below pre-pandemic levels” but is on the road to recovery. Although both Iowa’s and the national economy […]
In a recent interview with Tax Education Foundation of Iowa, Dr. Ernie Goss, Professor of Economics at Creighton University, discussed current issues and economic trends for both Iowa and the nation. Goss noted that Iowa’s economy “is still about three or four percent below pre-pandemic levels” but is on the road to recovery. Although both Iowa’s and the national economy […]
Creighton University Economics Professor, Dr. Ernie Goss joined TEF Iowa Deputy Director Walt Rogers to discuss how our state and national economy are recovering from the COVID-19 induced recession and what method is best to keep Iowa moving forward.
President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress are celebrating the recent passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), which is a $1.9 trillion package aimed at providing COVID-19 relief. The $1.9 trillion “stimulus” is in addition to $4 trillion in previous spending directed towards pandemic relief. The American Rescue Plan will not only add to the escalating $28 trillion […]
Des Moines is rightly excited about plans to build multiple new sports facilities. But Iowa taxpayers ought to be concerned about the city’s request for $57 million in state subsidies to underwrite real estate developers’ profits. Cronyism of this sort has been a consistent problem across America, but there’s hope on the horizon. States have been locked in a perpetual […]
President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress are pushing for a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. Congress has already approved $4 trillion in pandemic relief and stimulus measures and billions of that money has yet to be spent. Congress is also considering a $6.1 trillion budget and the $28 trillion national debt continues to escalate. Federal policymakers should avoid another […]
In 2018, Governor Kim Reynolds and the legislature passed pro-growth tax reform that lowered income tax rates and broadened the sales tax base. Reducing tax rates, along with practicing fiscally responsible spending policies, is making Iowa more competitive and economically strong. However, the annual report, Rich States, Poor States, describes how states across America continue to advance policies that help […]
On January 11, 2021, the Iowa legislature is scheduled to reconvene. Besides crafting a budget, the legislature will also be confronted with the challenge of creating policies to help stimulate the economic recovery from COVID-19. Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republicans in the legislature have been following a policy of fiscal conservatism by keeping spending low and reducing tax rates. […]
Tax rates matter. They determine how much income an individual or business must pay to the government. For every dollar taken away by taxes, it is one less dollar an individual, family, or business has to save, spend, or invest. Tax rates also play a big role in how competitive a state economy is in relation to other states. Higher […]