Stephen Slivinski
Entrepreneurship
Bootstraps Tangled in Red Tape
Executive Summary The burden of occupational licensing is stifling entrepreneurship in America. Unlike other studies that look at entrepreneurship generally,..
0-Federalism
Washington Should Let Highway Dollars Make a U-turn and Head Home to States
The U.S. Congress has been deadlocked for about three years over re-authorizing the federal highway program. During that time, they have passed temporary extensions of the program. The ninth extension expires at the end of this month.
Regulatory Reform/Taxes
Cutting up the Credit Cards: Seven Ideas to Reform the Culture of Debt in State and Local Government
Arizona’s constitutional drafters early in the 20th century were averse to public debt and to the tendency of government to use subsidies favor certain private interests. As a result, Arizona has a constitutional debt limit that limits state debt to $350,000—roughly $8 million in today’s dollars. But that limit is not effective at actually limiting debt. Today, state-level bonded indebtedness equals $13.7 billion. All levels of government in Arizona have outstanding debt in one form or another in the combined amount of at least $44 billion and possibly as high as $51 billion.
Regulatory Reform/Taxes
A New Tax Plan for a New Economy: How Eliminating the Income Tax Can Create Jobs
Policymakers in states across the country are searching for solutions to unemployment and a faltering economy. The answers, though, are simple and within reach. Legislators looking for a bold economic growth strategy should seriously consider the benefits of unshackling state economies from the income tax—a tax that penalizes workers, creates double taxation, and inhibits investment.
Regulatory Reform/Taxes
Let’s make history by eliminating the income tax
The tax debate in states over the past few decades has been largely centered on how high or low taxes should be. This is an important concern; but recently the conversation seems to have shifted to a debate about fundamental tax reform that alters radically how a state collects revenue.
Regulatory Reform/Taxes
Unify the Tax Base to be More Competitive
If you were to move across the state of Arizona, certain things wouldn’t change. Traffic laws would be the same, for instance. But what you pay taxes on might change. That’s because the sales tax base in Arizona differs from city to city. Something that is not taxable in one jurisdiction may indeed be taxable in another.
Regulatory Reform/Taxes
Can Tax Reform Spur Entrepreneurship?
Thousands of Arizonans are living their dream of working for themselves. It is incumbent on policymakers not to stand in the way of those who would like to share in that dream and start their own businesses. By focusing on reforming the tax code, policymakers can help make Arizona a better, more prosperous, and more entrepreneurial place.
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