Posts Tagged ‘small business’
“Fairness” and the Bush Tax Cuts — An Appeal to Political Philosophy
By Guest Blogger Ryan Berg
Yesterday, I posted on the policy-side of the Bush tax cuts. Today, let’s examine the philosophical issues involved with them—to wit, the idea of “fairness” and what constitutes the government’s definition of “rich.” Read the rest of this entry »
Dependence on Government
Emily Maltby writes an article today detailing some of the challenges small companies have in obtaining Federal contracts. The last two paragraphs worry me:
“Mr. Lebolo, however, is shifting his firm’s strategy to primarily focus on government work. “I made a determination to look hard into the federal market because it was the only place with money,” he says.
“He says he’s not frustrated by the relatively small price tag of his first government assignment. Now that the process of landing a contract is behind him, he says there is no going back to commercial construction. He hopes to grow and begin hiring again by the end of this year. “This is a long-term decision,” he says.”
When the government becomes the sole or dominant market for several sectors in the economy, what will happen? Will that prove beneficial to the economy? Will that situation increase or decrease innovation? Will it stimulate creative solutions to business and human problems?
I’ll have more to say about these questions, and this increasing trend of reliance on government for business’s economic well-being. But I don’t think it bodes well for the economy, creativity, innovation or America’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.
Four for Thursday — Articles I’ve Read and You Should Too
Today marks three months of Capitolism. Thanks for reading the blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it a least a little bit. I’ve enjoyed writing it immensely. Look for more posts, a new look, greater issue coverage, better features and even some guest writers early in the New Year. Best wishes for great joy and success in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
Four for Thursday: Articles I’ve Read and You Should Too
Only Supply-Side Can Fix Deficit, by Rich Karlgaard. I do not know enough to evaluate whether supply-side economics works. But policies designed to temporarily prop up demand seem ineffective: whether a short-term or one-time tax cut, or a program like Cash for Clunkers. Sure, we saw a rise in GDP this quarter, but will it last?
Why Gold Matters, by Sham Gad. Mr. Gad offers a nice, crisp overview of the basics of gold investing, including practical pros, cons and alternatives. The article also offers some other good links for anyone wishing to explore the topic in greater depth.
The Army President Obama Has Yet to Deploy, by Cedric Muhammad. This is the first article I’ve read by Mr. Muhammad. I found it erratic and occasionally rambling, but a useful read. He gives some sound counsel to policymakers (drop capitol gains taxes to 10%), but mixes in some oddball ones (increase incentives to hire ex-criminals). His main point resonates though: any recovery will come through the empowerment and enablement of America’s small businesses.
The Dollar and the U.S. Economy, Interview with John Tamny. As always, John makes some excellent point, on gold, trade deficits, the dollar as the go-between currency of the world, among others.
