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Taxes
Beware Empty Political Language
Election Season ‘Tis the season… If you’re into politics, that is. Doors are being knocked on. Stump speeches are ringing throughout communities. Ads are on TV, radio, and all over the Internet. Candidate mailers are hitting mailboxes. Citizens… Read More
Is There a Future for West Virginia?
West Virginia’s Path: A Different Future or the Eternal Now? Sweaty, breathing heavily on a stationary bike at 5:30am, I was watching the most recent season of Netflix’s popular show, Castlevania, when a main character, Isaac, said something that floored me: “They convince us… Read More
What Public Policy Reforms Are Next?
Big Wins In K-12 Public Policy, But What’s Next? There is little doubt that West Virginia’s public policy problems are legion. They have built up over the last several decades. First and foremost among said problems was a lack of options in the state’s calcified K-12 education system. With… Read More
Why Are Taxes So Hard To Do?
Why Are Taxes So Hard? As tax season winds down and you’re deep in your last-minute filing, you’ve probably caught yourself thinking, “why are taxes so stinkin’ hard?!” No doubt, I’ve sat in front of my computer on late nights trying to figure this all out. More than once,… Read More
American Rescue Plan Dooms Tax Cuts
On March 11th, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion relief plan. Known as the American Rescue Plan, this Act intended to help the American economy recover from the year-long coronavirus pandemic. The most discussed parts of the program are the individual stimulus checks and expansion of the… Read More
Wild & Wasteful Spending in West Virginia
Wasteful Spending: A Trade Secret In 2017, an investigation was launched into the West Virginia Supreme Court for overzealous spending. 2009 sparked a renovation initiative for the Court with a price tag of roughly $876,000. But, by 2017, the expenses ballooned to $3.7 billion. Most notable o… Read More
“Taxes Aren’t Convincing, Beaches Are:” Is It True?
Florida has a beach, beautiful weather, and, most importantly, Disney World. Who wouldn’t want to move to the Sunshine State? This seems to be a wildly popular argument for those opposed to elimination of the personal income tax (PIT), using Florida as an example that growth is not from… Read More
Eliminating the Income Tax: A State Success Story
For many, January marks the anxious start to tax season and reminds us how much the government takes from our paychecks every year. But what if there was a way to keep more money in your pocket? … Read More
How Tax Credits Built the “Good Ol’ Boys’ System”
Ask any American about the core problems with government, and you’re sure to hear stories of the “good ol’ boys’ club”. That group that tosses good bills, sneaks in bad pork, and generally twists the arm of government into making themselves even richer. It’s no secret… Read More
Income Taxes, Kansas, and the Mountain State
State legislators are considering the elimination of the personal income tax in the upcoming Spring session. These discussions have sparked a conversation about taxation and why it is essential to a government’s functioning. Opponents to abolishing the income tax claim that West Virgini… Read More