tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post5257101839738996279..comments2024-03-14T11:09:32.759-05:00Comments on Falkenblog: A Fatal ConceitEric Falkensteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07243687157322033496noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-30570011825542959702010-09-11T10:43:28.373-05:002010-09-11T10:43:28.373-05:00Two more issues: there usually are no objective cr...Two more issues: there usually are no objective criteria for determining if a program is good and the taxes or borrowing that fund government are not tied to specific programs.<br /><br />There is an inherent bias that favors most government programs in a democracy. The benefactors are few and organized, the losers are many, weak and dispersed.<br /><br />Iglesias thinks there is a common welfare that the political class can and will identify and maximize. Of course he identifies with this political class. <br /><br />In effect a limit on total spending reflects a negotiated agreement between the political class and the great mass of people who have little time for politics because are busy solving their own and their families' problems. Then the political class can fight over the spoils.<br /><br />More effective than spending limits is a constitution that effectively limits the scope of government, especially at the national level. We used to have such a constitution.Charleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00607057013050715435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-90266046763897503462010-09-11T00:03:18.642-05:002010-09-11T00:03:18.642-05:00Only up to $300k? Hardly.
http://www.nypost.com/p...Only up to $300k? Hardly.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/luxury_uite_deals_7ftSC1XEEZLeitHBJM61lK" rel="nofollow">http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/luxury_uite_deals_7ftSC1XEEZLeitHBJM61lK</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-92068417006474061052010-09-10T19:20:45.872-05:002010-09-10T19:20:45.872-05:00In semi-defense of Matt Yglesias, he has argued el...In semi-defense of Matt Yglesias, he has argued elsewhere for higher taxes on the non-rich to pay for more government spending. He is a fan of Scandinavian welfare states where government spending comprises a much higher percentage of GDP than here, but he also acknowledges that that spending is paid for by higher taxes on everyone there, including the middle class. <br /><br />Yglesias has also explained his love of government spending elsewhere. His view is that higher government spending as a percentage of GDP results in less income inequality. I forget whether he sketched out a causal rationale for that, or whether he was just observing correlations between income inequality here and in European countries with higher levels of government spending.Davehttp://steamcatapult.com/noreply@blogger.com