IL Finances Heading to Social Unrest

“I think it’s going to reach a point where there’s either social disorder or bankruptcy before people will act,” he said. via Crain’s Chicago Business. Ya, that sounds about right. But let’s back-up a little.  This is a quote from a...

Airlines Fees vs. Fares: Impacting Taxes

The liberal Washington Post complains: There’s a 7.5 percent federal tax on every airline ticket. The money goes into a fund that pays for the air transportation system: airports, capital improvements and the operation of the Federal Aviation Administration.  …...

The Fed & Debt Cancelation

I met a European trader in a bar this week, who brought up the possibility that at some point, the Bank of England might just rip up the UK government debt it has acquired through quantitative easing — just straight up throw it on the fire, and tell the...

What Drives Corporate Profits?

In a heady story over the Business Insider today Joe Weisenthal walks us through an analysis as to why corporate profits are so high right now.  It generally all comes down to this chart: It shows the various drivers and drags on corporate profitability. So for...

Obama Illegaly Accepts Foreign Donations

The Obama re-election campaign has accepted at least one foreign donation in violation of the law — and does nothing to check on the provenance of millions of dollars in other contributions, a watchdog group alleges. Chris Walker, a British citizen who lives outside...