Work, elsewhere
An ad-hoc newsletter of the work of The Unseen and The Unsaid authors produced beyond this blog
“The Border Tax is Back, and It’s Still a Terrible Idea” by Jack Salmon in National Review Online
Traditionally, Republicans built their brand on fiscal responsibility and free markets. Embracing the BAT would not only betray these principles, but also saddle Americans with higher costs, fewer choices, and diminished economic freedom. Conservatives should remember that once government begins managing trade through the tax code, markets adjust — and not always in ways policymakers expect.
“Why Healthcare Is So Expensive in America, and What to Do About It” by Veronique de Rugy syndicated via Creators.
Expanding HSA eligibility is not just another bandage-style health care reform. It's a step toward a more coherent tax code. It will lower prices by allowing individuals to accumulate health care savings over their working lives. It will help restore a direct financial relationship between patients and providers.
“Tax Reformists Shouldn’t Urge Even More Overreach” by Joshua Rowley in The Hill
Using the presidency to change a policy that belongs to Congress may work for a while. But we all know what happens next: The moment a president hostile to the idea of reaping a profit from investment takes office, those same unilateral powers can be used in the opposite direction. And this doesn’t even account for whatever creative new taxing authority a future president might claim once the precedent is set.
The fear of that possibility is precisely why the Constitution separates and limits powers in the first place.