Republicans tout themselves as friends of business. Yet when it comes to many of industry's top priorities, the GOP's tea party lawmakers and far-right lobbying groups are putting roadblocks in the way of legislation that U.S. businesses really want to see passed.
Nobody enjoys paying taxes, so hearing that Congress is cutting the IRS budget might inspire you to applaud. But this is the agency that makes sure the rest of government gets funded, and stops the unscrupulous from dodging their fair share of the burden.
In a year saturated with big financial headlines, identifying the fiscal heroes and villains is bound to be an exercise in oversimplification. But DailyFinance is going to try: Herewith, we present our picks for the best and the worst of 2011.
In the political battle over taxes, Warren Buffett has been cited often -- both as an example of the country's unbalanced tax code and for his popular plan to boost taxes on the rich. There's just one thing: His plan would leave many of them paying less.
Warren Buffett's tax proposal would put the bite on America's wealthy: Those who make $1 million or more would pay 30%, while those who make more than $10 million would pay 35%. But even if it passed, experts say balanced budgets will require sacrifices across the board.
On Thursday, GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann may have inadvertently made one of the boldest moves of the 2012 primary campaign. Speaking on Fox News, the Minnesota congresswoman stated that she wants to adopt Ronald Reagan's tax plan, a rate structure that's much higher than current tax rates.
Although the Senate has blocked action on Obama's $447 billion jobs bill, parts of it may yet get enacted, including an extension and expansion of a payroll tax cut that would put hundreds of dollars more a year in the pockets of ordinary American workers. Here are three smart ways for you to earmark that cash for your future.
Tax increases on the wealthy just got another outspoken defender: Google's 59th employee, Doug Edwards. On Monday, in a town hall meeting in California, President Obama called on a seemingly-anonymous member of the audience to ask a question. What happened next was surprising.
Earlier this week, Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) complained that he only netted $600,000 in 2010, and thus couldn't afford to pay higher taxes: "Class warfare never created a job," said Fleming. Former Obama administration official Elizabeth Warren, now running for the Senate, is ready with the counter-argument.
What do Tea Partiers feed their families? On Monday, Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), met with MSNBC's Chris Jansing to discuss President Obama's proposed tax hikes on the wealthy. Rep. Fleming only brings home $600,000 a year, and his explanation of why that just isn't enough offers an interesting glimpse into the world of Tea Party economic theory.
Before President Obama outlined his strategy Monday for America's millionaires to shoulder more of the tax burden, The Price of Fame asked show business types at the recent Toronto International Film Festival this burning question: Should celebrities and other wealthy people pay more in taxes?
Among the many ideas legislators in Washington have proposed for reducing federal spending is raising the age at which Americans qualify for Medicare benefits from 65 to 67. On the surface, that makes sense. But scratch the surface and the numbers show it to be an $11 billion blunder.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has grand plans to cut through the partisan noise and remind our country's politicians of their problem-solving duties: On Tuesday, he's hosting a gigantic, public telephone town hall, and asking all "concerned Americans" to join his movement and participate.
It has been a long, confusing summer for the federal budget: The FAA shutdown, the debt ceiling crisis, the Deficit "Supercommittee." But all of that was just prelude to the battles ahead over the 12 major appropriations bills to fund the government's "discretionary" spending.
Now that Hurricane Irene has passed, it's time to get back to discussing the country's biggest unnatural disaster: the economy. But here, too, Irene is making her impact felt, as economists and pundits across the country debate whether the hurricane will help or hurt America's bottom line.