January 11, 2008 by Tom Armstrong.

This article answers some questions on the FairTax.

Posted in General post | No Comments »

January 11, 2008 by Tom Armstrong.

Steven Landsburg, author of The Armchair Economist, says a national sales tax is a good idea. I concur, but we need to work out some details, which I’ve commented on before.

(HT: Mankiw)

Posted in General post | No Comments »

January 11, 2008 by Tom Armstrong.

Wacko Jacko’s Neverland on verge of foreclosure.

Posted in General post | No Comments »

January 11, 2008 by Tom Armstrong.

This article on teacher training in City Journal is interesting–and true, as I know from experience. I earned a degree in finance in 2000 and then after 3 years in the financial industry I went back to school and earned a masters degree in education. Education training is not substantive. Education departments are just cash cows for schools. I had to work for my finance degree, not my masters in education, which is unfortunate because many of our teachers never get anything but education training. I remember reading book chapters many times in my finance and economics classes to get a clear understanding of the material. I never read any material in my masters classes, and I graduated with a 4.0/4.0. Those who should be among the best trained are often among the poorest trained.

The article begins:

A good education requires balance. Students should learn to appreciate a variety of cultures, sure, but they also need to know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Judging from the courses that the nation’s leading education colleges offer, however, balance isn’t a goal. The schools place far more emphasis on the political and social ends of education than on the fundamentals.

Posted in General post | 1 Comment »

January 11, 2008 by Tom Armstrong.

Obama says we can fix everything with a good, old-fashioned tax increase.

Posted in General post | No Comments »