The Budget Deal Is Overflowing With $12 Billion of Earmarks
Why are federal taxpayers paying for upgrades at tiny rural airports, Thanksgiving Day parades, and enhancements for Alaskan king crabs?
Crony Capitalism
Why Is Panera Exempted From California's New Minimum Wage Law?
Probably because Greg Flynn, who operates 24 of the bakery cafes in California, is a longtime friend of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Biden Pours Out Another $6.5 Billion for the CHIPS Act's Costly Protectionism
It's part of the government's expensive public-private partnership meant to address concerns over a reliance on foreign countries, like China, for semiconductors.
The Government Is Better at Picking Losers Than Winners
It's taxpayers who lose when politicians give gifts, grants, and loans to private companies.
Wonka Fights the Candy Cronies
When regulators block entrepreneurs, they take away a golden ticket.
On Economic Issues, the Populist Right and Left Share a Lot of Common Ground
That's bad news for Americans.
How Much Will Taxpayers Pay for Virginia's $2 Billion Arena Plan?
How much public money will be used remains unclear. The consensus answer seems to be "a lot."
State Governments Promised Private Companies More than $10 Billion in Subsidies Last Year
The statistic, compiled by watchdog group Good Jobs First, only takes into account "megadeals" involving at least $50 million in subsidies.
Georgia Taxpayers Lose $160,000 for Every Job Created by Film Tax Credits
The program generates just 19 cents for every dollar spent.
North Carolina's Bad Billion-Dollar Bet on a Struggling E.V. Company
Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast has lost $5.8 billion in three years, during which time the state of North Carolina pledged $1.2 billion in state incentives.
Ford E.V. Battery Plant in Michigan Named Worst Economic Development Deal of 2023
For the third time in five years, the Center for Economic Accountability found an electric vehicle or battery plant to be the most egregious waste of taxpayer funds.
Yes, Heavy Regulation Hurts the Economy. Just Look at France.
We're often told European countries are better off thanks to big-government policies. So why is the U.S. beating France in many important ways?
Michigan Lawmakers Signed Nondisclosure Agreements, Can't Discuss Corporate Welfare Scheme
If states insist upon giving away taxpayer money to private companies, the least they can offer in return is transparency.
The Real Scandal in Washington Is the Government's Reckless Spending
Those sounding the loudest alarms about possible shutdowns are largely silent when Congress ignores its own budgetary rules. All that seems to matter is that government is metaphorically funded.
'Bidenomics' Is Failing Everyday Americans
The big spending has fueled higher inflation, resulted in larger-than-projected deficits, and contributed to a record level of debt.
China Is No Economic Model for America
The country's current struggles show the problems of the Beijing way—and make the case for freedom.
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Jones Act Traffic Jam
"It's just a very classic case of everything wrong with Washington."
Yellow Corporation To Close, Lay Off 30,000 Employees, and Likely Default on $700 Million Pandemic Aid Loan
The company blames much of its problems on the Teamsters trucking union's "intransigence," while the Teamsters say Yellow is delinquent on benefit payments.
Progressives and Populist Republicans Are Coming for Your Credit Card Rewards
New legislation would intervene in the credit card market to help businesses like Target and Walmart, who don't like the fees they have to pay to accept credit card payments.
'Bidenomics,' Like All Industrial Policy, Sucks
Plus: Does Tom Cruise really do all of his own stunts?
'Bidenomics' Is Nothing New
It's a familiar program. And it will result in higher prices, slower growth, and fewer jobs.
Tesla Solar Factory Not Living Up to New York's $1 Billion Investment
In exchange for $1 billion, the state expected 5,000 jobs and 1,000 installations a week. Instead, it reported 1,700 jobs, most of them Tesla data analysts, and 21 installations per week.
Ohio E.V. Manufacturer Fails Despite Millions in Taxpayer Subsidies
Lordstown Motors received $24.5 million to operate an Ohio factory. G.M., the factory's previous owner, received $60 million before shuttering it.
City Council Indictment Shows How L.A.'s Overregulated Housing Market Breeds Corruption
City Councilmember Curren Price is indicted for steering favors to affordable housing developers who were bribing his wife.
Movie Industry Says Georgia's Film Tax Credits Are Great. State Auditors Say They're a Waste of Money.
Contradicting a new report funded by entertainment industry advocates, state auditors have cast significant doubts on the tax credit program's actual effectiveness.
Michigan Has Given the E.V. Industry $1.4 Billion and Counting
Carmakers don't need a crony-capitalist slush fund.
Conservatives Pushing 'Common Good Capitalism' Sound a Lot Like Progressives
The ideology champions the same tired policies that big government types predictably propose whenever they see something they don't like.
States Spend Billions on Economic Development Deals With Little Return
In a new report, the Center for Economic Accountability analyzed economic development data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and there's very little to show for billions in annual spending.
Stadium Subsidy Stupidity Hits New Record
Taxpayers are on the hook for $1.26 billion for a new stadium in Nashville.
Georgia Is Shoveling Cash Into a Failing Electric Vehicle Company
In 2021, the state of Georgia made an expensive bet on an unproven company that could be headed for financial catastrophe.
Tennessee Will Use Eminent Domain To Evict Black Farmers for Ford E.V. Factory
The state promised Ford nearly $900 million in incentives, including new and upgraded roads. But it chose to run that new road through a number of black-owned farms.
The Inflation Reduction Act Is Screwing Up the Market for Electric Vehicles
Volkswagen unveiled a cheap new electric concept car, but protectionist policies mean it's not worthwhile for the company to introduce it in the U.S.
North Carolina Using Eminent Domain To Seize Homes and a Church for Electric Car Factory
Under the Kelo v. New London Supreme Court decision, a state can take private land to give to a private developer for almost any reason it wants.
America Needs a Better Kind of Capitalism
Big corporations and entire industries constantly use their connections in Congress to get favors, no matter which party is in power.
The Government Is Subsidizing Microchip Firms—While Making It More Expensive To Produce Microchips
Politicians say they want to subsidize various industries, but they sabotage themselves by weighing the policies down with rules that have nothing to do with the plans.
PredictIt Helps Forecast Election Results. Bureaucrats Are Trying To Kill It.
Election betting markets are often more reliable than pundits. Did the site steal user funds? No. Did they lie to people? No. Harm anyone? No.
Youngkin Nixes Ford Electric Vehicle Plant Over Anti-China Paranoia
The factory may have been a bad deal for Virginia, but tying the decision to Chinese aggression is the wrong move.
Is It 'Treason' To Support Free Trade?
Shipping industry insiders floated a recommendation to charge critics of the Jones Act with treason, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Politicians Who Supported $54 Billion in Airline Bailouts Now Pose as Industry Critics
Political criticism of Southwest's mass flight cancelations mask a cronyist relationship between government and the passenger airline industry.
Free Market Think Tank Names Georgia Electric Vehicle Plant the 'Worst Economic Development Deal of 2022'
Rivian, an electric truck manufacturer that hopes to compete with Tesla, received a lucrative deal to build a new factory in Georgia despite concerns about its finances.
Semiconductor Manufacturers Don't Need More Subsidies. They Need Less Government.
Fixing federal permitting rules and easing immigration policies would help companies like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which are interested in building more plants in America.
Farm Subsidies and Food Stamps Won't Fix High Grocery Prices. Innovation Will.
With government meddling, many farmers end up doing less with more, and people end up paying more for less.
Markets Aren't Perfect, but Government Is Worse
The free market allows people to cooperate, fix errors, and adapt to changing circumstances.
Somebody in the Shipping Industry Wants Opponents of the Jones Act Charged with Treason
There’s nothing patriotic about a law lining the pockets of cargo companies at the expense of consumers.
Ohio Pledges Over $150 Million in Taxpayer Money for Honda Factories
Honda, one of the world's largest automakers, announced it would spend $4 billion building and upgrading factories in Ohio. The state is showering it with public funds anyway.
The Government Should Be Pro-Market, Not 'Pro-Business'
Businesses are all in favor of competition, tax cuts, and deregulation only until they aren't—meaning only until subsidies might benefit them.
Ford's E.V. Charger Mandate Shows How Broken Dealership Laws Are
The current franchise dealership model does not benefit consumers. It also may not benefit dealerships.
Brett Favre Goes on Welfare
How the former NFL quarterback convinced Mississippi to spend its public assistance money on a volleyball facility.