In The News

What economists call “full employment” just isn’t what it used to be!

Congress has voted to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing access to the Internet. For 17 years, the ban on Internet taxes has benefited millions of Americans by empowering them to conduct transactions on the Internet free from the fear of additional tax burdens. "This is a tremendous victory for America's Internet economy, and for all of us who participate in this economy", said Institute for Policy Innovation president Tom Giovanetti.

This is a city that votes for big-government politicians who promise the world but can’t even deliver safe water. Will they reconsider that pattern? And Flintstones aren’t the only Democrats losing faith in government.

Passage of PITFA as part of HR-644 now "intensifies" S-698 opponents' push to "stave off the attempt" to pass that bill, said IPI president Tom Giovanetti in a statement. S-698 "has never had committee scrutiny on the Senate side and [has] never been subject to amendment on the floor." Senate Republican leaders "must commit to first submitting this legislation to the same procedures, hearings and scrutiny appropriate to any and all legislation, especially since this proposal has serious Constitutional questions," Giovanetti said.

Fans of the just-passed permanent Internet Tax Fairness Act (PITFA), which bans taxes on Internet servcie, were weighing in Thursday (Feb. 11), including warning about the Internet sale tax legislation whose future consideration was a tradeoff for that passage.

The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) commends the U.S. Senate for passing the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PITFA). "This is a tremendous victory for America’s Internet economy, and for all of us who participate in this economy," said IPI president Tom Giovanetti. 

Washington must ensure that spectrum is being freed-up and made available for use on a regular basis in order to keep the critical wireless economy going and growing. But we’re reaching the point where the largest, most inefficient holder of spectrum is in fact the federal government.

Conservatives frequently remind voters that federal debt has risen to more than $18 trillion under President Obama. But that figure overlooks another nearly $3 trillion, which would put total federal debt at about $21 trillion.

IPI's Dr. Merrill Matthews says repealing the mandate would be good for the economy and the environment. “Ending the Renewable Fuel Standard would immediately and dramatically increase the demand for oil, stabilize energy markets, boost the economy, and likely reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.”

The price of their labor is the only thing low- or no-skilled workers have to bargain with. Let the unemployed food stamp recipients work for less than the minimum wage and maybe they will be able to get a job.