Overview for subsidies

GOP Stands by Brazilian Cotton Subsidies

As the Republicans in Congress continue to push President Obama to approve deep budget cuts as a condition for raising the debt ceiling, most of them refuse to repeal a program that seems like a clear case of wasteful spending. As the Republicans in Congress continue to push President Obama to …

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Written by Ajay Ravichandran on Thursday July 14, 2011

The Dirty Secret Of Energy Subsidies

Before we can have a rational debate on America's future energy needs, both parties need to acknowledge the role tax preferences and other subsidies play in the marketplace. See, it’s still possible for Republicans and Democrats to work together on energy legislation. On Thursday, the ethanol …

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Written by Jim DiPeso on Sunday June 19, 2011

Why Pawlenty Doubled Down on Ethanol

It's right for Tim Pawlenty to travel to Iowa to denounce ethanol and other farm subsidies. But is this his way of downplaying his Iowa expectations? It's courageous, principled, and right for Tim Pawlenty to travel to Iowa to denounce ethanol and other farm subsidies. But I'm also left wondering: …

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Written by David Frum on Monday May 23, 2011

Quake Bill Means Big Debt After the Big One

A new bill to help subsidize the purchase of earthquake insurance in California could leave the federal government with a massive debt if a quake hits. One of the consequences of the recent Japanese earthquake is that legislation that might not be a good idea seems significantly more appealing. …

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Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday May 11, 2011

What the Ryan Budget Gets Right

There's a lot that's baffling in the Ryan budget plan, but also many proposals that are a step forward. I wrote yesterday about what is baffling in the Ryan budget plan. What is positive? 1) The Ryan plan accepts that tax cuts must be "paid for" with offsets elsewhere in the budget. That's …

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Written by David Frum on Thursday April 7, 2011

Bust the College Tuition Bubble

A new study provides compelling evidence that while elite colleges are charging more, students may be getting less value from their degrees. David Leonhardt compiles the evidence in favor of my 2008 prediction of the busting of the college tuition bubble. Some politicians suggest that the …

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Written by David Frum on Tuesday February 22, 2011