Prescott Valley Correspondent-With inflation not being under direct government control or managed by a federal or state taxing authority, like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it is not going to be considered a direct tax, though inflation certainly has effects that are tax-like in nature. Inflation would be considered more of an indirect tax as … Continue reading Is Inflation a tax? If so, is it the most regressive tax we pay?
Economy
Why is the generational wave of telecommuters not moving to rural areas?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-As a telecommuter for the last 17 years, I think I can offer some perspective on this question. While the idea of a house out in the woods or surrounded by a few acres of pasture or farmland is at times appealing, in the end it’s just not for me, and likely wouldn’t … Continue reading Why is the generational wave of telecommuters not moving to rural areas?
Bill Gates recently called for a tax on robots that take jobs from humans. Does this proposal have merit?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent- Taxing robots certainly has merit for the government, which relies on taxing humans to feed its spending addiction. It's presumed a corporation that employs robots will be responsible for paying the robot tax. How will that be assessed if robots don't receive compensation similar to what human employees receive? Should it be … Continue reading Bill Gates recently called for a tax on robots that take jobs from humans. Does this proposal have merit?
Would Eliminating Taxes be Disastrous for Society?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-Eliminating taxes will likely not happen as there will be tax shifts to make up for any termination of state or federal income taxes. If taxes are done away with, there will always be replacements through other sources of revenue. If alternative sources were to be eliminated, there likely would be negative … Continue reading Would Eliminating Taxes be Disastrous for Society?
The Federal Reserve finally ended their zero-interest-rate stance after about seven years. Will rising interest rates cause a recession in the next year or two?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent- The U.S. economy has been chugging along at a slow-to-moderate pace since the current recovery began back in 2009 after the Great Recession ended. Part of the reason for that steady growth and lack of volatility in the stock market must be chalked up to historically low interest rates. Rising interest rates … Continue reading The Federal Reserve finally ended their zero-interest-rate stance after about seven years. Will rising interest rates cause a recession in the next year or two?
Symposium 2016: Minimum wage laws were passed in a number of states during the last election to raise the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour, and a national campaign has been initiated to institute a $15 an hour minimum. Will these increases be detrimental to jobs and job security?
Myrtle Beach, SC Correspondent- Will it hurt job security? I would say probably. Here is the issue here, rather than paying their workers a higher dollar amount some companies will probably just automate their process more. Companies who can’t afford to automate will either pay the going rate, slim down their company, put more people … Continue reading Symposium 2016: Minimum wage laws were passed in a number of states during the last election to raise the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour, and a national campaign has been initiated to institute a $15 an hour minimum. Will these increases be detrimental to jobs and job security?
Will the Middle Class Become a Thing of the Past in the United States?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-Much hand wringing has been done over the fact that the middle class in America seems to be shrinking. The richest one percent widens its income gap over the rest of us. A few lucky or hard-working or entrepreneurial souls claw their way toward the top from poverty or the depths of the … Continue reading Will the Middle Class Become a Thing of the Past in the United States?
Statistics released from the Labor Department report that over 94 million Americans are either out of work or underemployed. How can this crisis be solved and out-of-work Americans returned to the job force?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-In the long run, the unemployment/underemployment crisis will resolve itself because Baby Boomers, the largest demographic group in the country, are retiring at an increasing rate. Their positions will be filled by younger workers as all generations after the Boomers move up a notch in the workforce. The real crisis is in the … Continue reading Statistics released from the Labor Department report that over 94 million Americans are either out of work or underemployed. How can this crisis be solved and out-of-work Americans returned to the job force?
Should Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Fed-Ex/UPS or another large US-based company acquire the United States Postal Service?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-Efficiency experts, business mavens, delivery brain trusts and thousands of others have for years been kicking around the idea of privatizing the United States Postal Service (USPS). Proponents point to things like charter schools, which in some instances have far outstripped the performance of their traditional public school counterparts. The reason any business … Continue reading Should Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Fed-Ex/UPS or another large US-based company acquire the United States Postal Service?
Election 2016 Round Table Discussion: With the economy and jobs being two of the hottest interrelated issues of the 2016 campaign, what will be the solutions to bolstering a stagnant economy and returning Americans to work?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-The solutions to bolstering a stagnant economy and returning Americans to work lie in the reestablishment of a number of institutions and policy approaches that will strengthen the economy and return Americans to work. With the number of businesses, companies, corporations and organizations leaving America in record numbers and corporate tax rates … Continue reading Election 2016 Round Table Discussion: With the economy and jobs being two of the hottest interrelated issues of the 2016 campaign, what will be the solutions to bolstering a stagnant economy and returning Americans to work?
