American Shareholders Association

Pat Buchanan--Of All People Hits The Auto Bailout Nail on the Head

2008-11-21T15:00:07-05:00

Here's how Buchanan thinks DC screwed Detroit. His conclusions are all protectionist, but the diagnosis is devastatingly-sound: How did Big Government do in the U.S. auto industry? Washington imposed a minimum wage higher than the average wage in war-devastated Germany...

Half of Country to GM: Your Failure Is For the Best

2008-11-20T18:01:00-05:00

Just when you thought the whole country had gone nuts: Nearly half of U.S. voters (48%) say it is better for the economy to let companies like General Motors fail rather than providing government subsidies to keep them in business....

Maybe Young People Really Are Dumb...

2008-11-19T16:14:00-05:00

Over a third (36%) of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 now say they are at least somewhat confident in the Social Security system, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Let's do a quick review...

Tax Rates Continue World Decline

2008-11-19T16:10:00-05:00

Chock full of good stats from Steven Malanga of the Manhattan Institute: The tax cutting of the past few years has eroded the United States’ competitive position. One measure of where the U.S. is competitively: According to the KPMG study,...

What the Democrats Have Planned For Your 401(k)

2008-11-18T17:24:10-05:00

Here's a very good breakdown: Automatic enrollment plan. Under the Obama proposal, employers that do not currently offer a retirement plan would be required to enroll their employees in a direct-deposit IRA account that is compatible to existing direct-deposit payroll...

One in Ten Americans in HSA-Compatible Health Plan

2008-11-18T17:19:52-05:00

Some 4.2 million adults 21 to 64 are in a consumer-directed health plan, equivalent to 3% of the population, according to Washington-based EBRI’s 2008 Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey. That is up from 2% of the population in 2007....

On the National Journal Blog: "Is Obama's Stimulus Plan Good for the Economy?"

2008-11-18T17:14:08-05:00

Here's my answer: Let's see: Obama wants to raise the marginal tax rate on two-thirds of small business income and the lion's share of wages to a rate perhaps approaching 50 percent (when the higher individual income tax and Social...

Are You Better Off Than You Were 40 Years Ago

2008-11-17T17:14:00-05:00

Veronique de Rugy thinks so: In 2005, a full 85 percent of households that were classified as poor by the Census Bureau had air conditioning (compared to only 36 percent in 1971) Some 97 percent had a color television (compared...

ASA Now a Contributor to National Journal Econ Blog: "Should Washington Bail Out Detroit?"

2008-11-17T17:10:00-05:00

Here's my answer: Absolutely not. The unionized auto sector has spent decades caving into the excessive salary, pension, and health benefit demands of the UAW. Just last year they signed a health care "VEBA" (i.e., union slush fund) which everyone...

ATR Formally Requests All the Bailout Cash; Wants to Eliminate the Cap Gains/Dividends Tax, Cut Corp Rate

2008-11-17T17:06:00-05:00

Today, ATR formally requested all $700 billion in TARP bailout money from the Treasury. With this money, Americans for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist proposes turning right around and cutting taxes (giving the money back to the people who gave it...