Anyone else remember Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and the “how people made things,” segments? Fred and Mr. McFeely narrating, me snacking on a PB&J with the crusts cut off, the jazz piano twinkling in the background, as folks hypnotically pressed trumpet after trumpet, inflated countless toy balls, or cut tofu into buoyant cubes. Soon after Y2K, Mr. Rogers and his popular segments were gone. The “offshoring” movement was well underway.
Read MoreAt the most basic level, sin taxes do discourage behavior. Despite Libertarian complaints, taxation is a powerful tool, and when applied to things like cigarettes and beer, it has had measurable effect. But sin taxes also tend to be regressive in nature. That mean s they disproportionately affect lower income groups.
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