A British adage says “where there’s muck, there’s brass” — with muck being manure and brass being money. That applies to a review by the Met Council of the “sewer availability charge” applied to businesses that expand their facilities or…
Excise taxes are ancient but always topical
Excise taxes are the oldest taxes in human civilization and make up only a small fraction of government revenues in modern economies. But they remain an important issue in certain key policies including highway funding, alcohol use and health financing.…
Health issues raise interesting economic questions
Health issues are in the news, many with some interesting economic aspects that prompt reader questions. Let’s look at a few. 1. What are the economics of President Donald Trump’s anti-opioid proposals? On the surface, Trump’s proposed measures are not…
Trade, tariff issues have many nuances
Announced tariffs on steel and aluminum are pending, as is renegotiation of NAFTA. President Donald Trump threatens tariffs on other Chinese goods in retaliation for alleged theft of intellectual property. Thus, many email queries from readers about last week’s column…