Commentary by E.J. Smith
There isn’t any doubt the government is off course. But the GOP’s 22 page “A Pledge to America” comes off like something put together during a weekend corporate retreat. A lot of kumbaya collaboration away from the pressures of the real world. And like many a retreat the idealism quickly falls by the wayside once Monday morning comes around and the day’s problems take over. The GOP’s pledge has plenty of references to the Constitution. Which leads me to wonder: why not just follow the Constitution and scrap the pledge? I’ve had enough of their promises. What’s really needed is a cleansing of Washington on both sides of the aisle. And I remind members of Congress that they took a pledge to follow the Constitution when they recited this oath:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
Commentary by Dick Young on Andy Stern Sees the Light on Overseas Profits by James S. Tisch, The Wall Street Journal
America’s overseas tax policies distort decision making by American corporations who do business internationally. In today’s multi-national dominated business climate, American companies are forced to do business on all parts of the earth to be competitive and successful. Congress has refused to work with business to end the double taxation of corporate profits earned overseas, so naturally companies have refused to bring that money home to invest it here in the U.S. Andy Stern may have seen the light on this issue and is calling for a reprieve of the double taxation. Unfortunately his call only comes as a way to fund more big government spending with a National Infrastructure Bank. The NIB seems to be the new liberal answer to the Obama administration’s failures to right the economy. This bank would likely end up funding politically popular ideas at the expense of the most productive private sector initiatives. Mr. Stern and the Obama administration should stand up to fight for U.S. businesses without an ulterior motive.
Commentary by Timothy Jones on Those Underpaid Government Workers by Andrew G. Biggs, The American Spectator
Here Andrew Biggs has used scientific methods to prove the disparities in pay between government and private workers. The surprise for many liberals will be that he finds federal employees are paid 12% more than their private sector counterparts, not less as they would have you believe.
