In his visit to the University of Iowa tomorrow, President Obama is expected to speak about student debt and the cost of earning a college degree – topics that are likely to resonate with many University of Iowa students and their counterparts at other Iowa institutions of higher learning. According to the Project on Student Debt, [...]
Archive for the ‘Budget and Tax’ category
Tax-cutters’ unbalanced focus undermines self-government
March 20, 2012What we have in Des Moines is a leadership problem and a governing problem.
Will Iowa ever put taxpayers’ dollars where their voices are?
March 6, 2012The only thing that is self-evident is that Iowa lawmakers are not putting taxpayers’ money where their voices are: toward more and better water-quality initiatives.
Drops in the bucket: an erosion of water quality funding
March 2, 2012At what point do we say, “Enough is enough,” and start making the investment in our natural resources?
Unreasonable fear about ‘one-time’ money
February 21, 2012Using stimulus funds bridged a gap in revenues and kept Iowa out of a race to the bottom.
Minimum wage just doesn’t keep up
February 16, 2012The State of Working Iowa 2011 offered a good perspective on the arguments we are hearing now against an increase in the minimum wage. We should raise it and index it to inflation.
Cities have development tools beyond TIF
February 15, 2012The indefensible thing in the 2012 legislative session would be to make significant commercial property tax changes without fixing abuses of TIF.
Iowa Senate to families: Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 14, 2012The increase would put Iowa into the top tier among the 22 states and the District of Columbia that offer an EITC.
Budgeting in context
February 8, 2012The budgeting decisions of last year ought to be viewed in context.
The Tax Foundation’s indefensible mish-mash
January 30, 2012What the “State Business Tax Climate Index” offers is, at its core, an indefensible mish-mash of “Stuff the Tax Foundation Doesn’t Like,” which should be the title.
