2016 U.S. presidential candidate Jeb Bush's Tax Plan that spells out details, and takes a shot at 4% growth for restoring lost social and economic mobility in the U.S.

09/09/2015

The efforts to wrestle with the deficit in 2011-2012 led to a vigorous debate on changing the tax code, yet political leaders failed to take up new ideas or spell out the details. Jeb Bush, with advisors Martin Feldstein and Kevin Warsh, takes the unconventional approach of putting in the details, and taking up ideas such as the idea of limiting itemized deductions to 2% of adjusted gross income proposed by Feldstein in that debate. On the $2.1 trillion in income held overseas by U.S. companies Bush proposes 8.75% tax paid over 10 years. On business investment he proposes capital investment be allowed to be deducted in full immediately. It is based on the idea that business investment can drive a vigorous recovery, that workers bear 50% of the burden of higer taxes through sluggish wage growth. It levels the playing field for debt and equity capital, removing "carried interest" provision, as a lesson from the excessive leverage taken by financial institutions in the past.

Linked Articles

The Bush Growth Plan

Wall Street Journal 09/10/2015

Editorial

New York Times 09/09/2015

Alan Rappeport, Alan, Rappeport, Matt Flegenheimer, Matt, Flegenheimer

Ford Motor's higher profits from larger vehicles in the U.S. and China in 2015- the redesigned F-150 pickup, SUV's, with higher fuel efficiency, lower gas prices and lower interest rates

07/29/2015

Linked Articles

GM, Ford, Flourish Out of the Limelight

Wall Street Journal 07/29/2015

Christina Rogers, Christina, Rogers

Wall Street Journal 07/29/2015

Christina Rogers, Christina, Rogers

German experts and public opinion who see Greece's exit from the eurozone as the best thing for the euro in July 2015 (1)

07/07/2015

Chancellor Merkel's statement that the the Euro is the EU, now place more emphasis on building a strong future for the euro. Experts in Germany believe the euro is better off without Greece by July 2015. As the WSJ editorial points out political contagion is now a bigger threat to the euro, with euro skeptic parties joining populist parties with no committment to the common currency and its basic rules.

Linked Articles

German Finance Chief’s Hard Line on Greece Limits Angela Merkel’s Room to Maneuver

Wall Street Journal 07/09/2015

Anton Troianovski, Anton, Troianovski

New York Times 07/07/2015

Jochen Bittner, Jochen, Bittner

Hard realities- what a Greek exit from the eurozone in 2015 could do for Greece and for the European Union

04/29/2015

The Economist says Greece could end up becoming a failed state at the doorstep of the European Union. With the major parties losing support extreme parties on the right and left would increase support. The economy of Greece would suffer serious damage. As prices have declined by 16% with no surge in exports, a devaluation of the drachma would not be of much help. Argentina went through a period of severe hardship following the default on the currency. Greece, says the Economist, may be engaging in a strategy to extract concessions from the EU by waiting till the last minute. Yet this strategy has its drawbacks because of the damage to Greece's economy in the process, with the slight growth under the Samaras administration turning into a recession with the 6 months of the Syriza government in 2015.

Linked Articles

What Greece Faces if It Defaults

New York Times 04/29/2015

Uki GoÑi, Uki, GoÑi

Economist 06/20/2015

Economist.Com

What Greece won in the negotiations and what Greece lost in the failure of talks with the EU, capital controls, closing of banks and the referendum on July 5, 2015

02/27/2015

Major concessions were won by Greece on the most important issues of the surplus, and the size of the public sector with high unemployment. Compromise was being reached on the value added taxes and age for getting pensions, next down the list. Next on the list were pension cuts which undoubtedly would hurt pensioners but in the larger picture of the economy would come after the size of the surplus and dateline, and the size of public sector. The size of these cuts is small compared to the cost of 60 billion euros from the damage done to the economy, and the alternatives for pensioners and the rest of the country. under bank closure. For the EU this was seen as part of pension reforms and for left leaning Syriza compromising on behalf of pensioners.

Linked Articles

IMF Raises Referendum Stakes With Call for More Aid for Greece and Debt Relief

Wall Street Journal 07/03/2015

Viktoria Dendrinou, Viktoria, Dendrinou, Nektaria Stamouli And Ian Talley, Nektaria, Stamouli, And, Ian, Talley

New York Times 02/27/2015

Paul Krugman, Paul, Krugman

Deep differences in 2015 between Alexis Tsipras of Syriza and the Merkel government in Germany on debt forgiveness and the bailouts for Greece

01/26/2015

The deep differences between Greeks and Merkel operate at two levels. On the level of austerity policies Greece shares the view with other EU countries, the governments of Hollande in France and Renzi in Italy that austerity is not the best course for the eurozone. This view is also shared by people in Spain facing unemployment exceeding 20%, though the government of Rajoy in Spain like that of Samaras in Greece lived with the austerity policies with some changes. At this level there is also support from within Merkel's coalition government from Social Democrats. The other level of deep differences is on debt forgiveness and bailouts where Greece has to find its own way out in negotiations hoping that the EU and the IMF will agree to make concessions based on action taken by Syriza to ensure prudence in fianncial management. On issues such as minimum wage one would expect Syriza to be firm and make concessions where the hardship does not fall on the poorer and working class, winning support from the Social Democrats in Merkel's coalition. Beyond the symbolic moves and posturing the actual negotiations are likely to take into account the eurozone's need for help on the fiscal side desired by the ECB's Draghi to support monetary easing to fight deflation, and the need to keep the eurozone intact at a sensitive time. Syriza for its part is aware that a majority of Greeks favor staying in the eurozone.

Linked Articles

Greece’s new prime minister wants Germany to pay for Nazi war crimes - The Washington Post

Washington Post 01/26/2015

Ishaan Tharoor, Ishaan, Tharoor

Washington Post 01/27/2015

Griff Witte, Griff, Witte

Looking back at Hong Kong and China today and yesterday- China in 1842 and in 1945, nationalism and commercial interests of foreign powers

01/09/2015

A wariness with foreign powers in China stems from the influences left behind from the British commercial interests and the Japanese invasion of China. Compared to that period, the period of collaboration on an equal footing and playing field is is a short and recent one that has taken place for just three decades 1985-2015. Fears that the accelerated development in China could slow down without a strong central government, combine with the awareness of the need for western technology and open communications in today's global economy to accelerate the development, create in the Chinese mind a problem that needs to be tackled carefully to continue progress. Awareness of the huge inequalities and corruption in the rush towards modernization, need to tackle extensive contamination of air and water, and need for social security and healthcare for an aging population create a new urgency for careful policy making to sustain progress.

Linked Articles

Gentlemen Drug Dealers

Wall Street Journal 01/12/2015

George Walden, George, Walden

New York Times 01/09/2015

Thomas J. Christensen, Thomas, J., Christensen

Tesla Motors and the problem of meeting target deliveries at a time of low gas prices in 2015-2016

12/05/2014

Linked Articles

Tesla First-Quarter Car Deliveries Rise Above 10,000

Wall Street Journal 04/04/2015

John D. Stoll And Mike Ramsey, John, D., Stoll, And, Mike, Ramsey

Wall Street Journal 12/05/2014

Justin Lahart, Justin, Lahart

The Hong Kong legislature votes 28-8 to reject the Beijing election plan with 34 walking out- staying with the current system where a Chief Executive is elected from 1200 business and political leaders

09/29/2014

The current system actually may offer more choice of candidates as it provides for a Chief Executive to be elected from 1200 business and poltiical leaders from Hong Kong, compared to the Beijing plan to have a pro-Beijing committee vetting candidates. This realization led to the historic vote in the legislature after the failure to convince the government led by Xi Jinping to allow free choice of candidates.

Linked Articles

Hong Kong Votes Down Beijing-Backed Election Plan

Wall Street Journal 06/18/2015

Isabella Steger, Isabella, Steger

New York Times 09/29/2014

Michael Forsythe, Michael, Forsythe

The failure of Maliki to reduce sectarianism in Iraq, and the failure of the Obama administration's Middle East policy, lead to reversal of years of effort in Iraq

08/15/2014

WSJ reporter Bradley talks to Maliki's aides who say he is only interested in personal power not the future of Iraq. Gen. James Jones, National Security Advisor to U.S. president Obama 2009-2010, says Maliki's corrupt policies and using increased sectarian conflict to further personal power, and president Obama's failure to act in Syria when chemical weapons were used as well as not maintaining a training presence after the withdrawal, are both responsible for the summer 2014 collapse in Iraq.

Linked Articles

How to Save Iraq and Honor American Sacrifice

Wall Street Journal 08/15/2014

James L. Jones, James, L., Jones

Wall Street Journal 08/15/2014

Matt Bradley, Matt, Bradley

European Commission president Jean Claude-Juncker's credibility gap and the lack of scrutiny and elected support for the EU's top official

06/26/2014

Linked Articles

Juncker scandal prompts sniping at European Commission election system - The Washington Post

Washington Post 11/14/2014

Anthony Faiola, Anthony, Faiola

New York Times 06/26/2014

James Kanter, James, Kanter

Greece's Path Back (1) - A Win for the Samaras government by April 2014 as Greece's 5 year bond yield reaches 4.95% and negotiations with the EU end favorably

03/18/2014

Linked Articles

Greece Gets Strong Demand for Bond

Wall Street Journal 04/10/2014

Ben Edwards, Ben, Edwards, Neelabh Chaturvedi, Neelabh, Chaturvedi, Nektaria Stamouli, Nektaria, Stamouli

New York Times 03/18/2014

Niki Kitsantonis, Niki, Kitsantonis