Tag: Taxes
The price of a car crash
At first blush it might seem to make sense for cash-strapped cities to charge drivers for car accidents, a quick and easy way to raise revenue for the fire department and the police. But there are costs involved too. Getting … Continue reading
The price of John Lennon’s ghost
How much would you pay for basking in the aura of John Lennon’s former presence? On February 5, the British auction firm Bonhams will auction John Lennon’s first car, a blue 1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Coupe, which he bought … Continue reading
The price of taxes
American corporations love to complain about the onerous taxes. Well, Price Waterhouse has compiled a ranking of corporate taxation in 183 countries around the world. The United States is nowhere near the top. The average tax burden in the United … Continue reading
The power of cigarette prices
Americans are familiar with the deployment of tobacco taxes to curb smoking. Smoking among teens has declined consistently over the last 20 years, in part thanks to hefty taxes on cigarettes. When I was a smoker back in the 1990s … Continue reading
The Price of Cheap Energy
Americans’ deep skepticism about the perils of global warming is perhaps most evident in the price they pay for energy. American drivers benefit from some of the cheapest gas outside the Middle East. A gallon of gas in the United … Continue reading
The Price of Death (in 2010)
Perhaps we should expect some untimely deaths among the rich this month. This is the last month they are likely to get away with it tax-free. The tax-cut bill passed by the Bush administration in 2001 mandated that the estate … Continue reading



