By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
The young drop coverage to avoid higher premiums
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Adding to the growing sense on Capitol Hill that tax reform is dead for now, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means committee said Tuesday that he is "not confident" that Congress will reshape the federal tax code this year.
Companies in July advertised the most jobs in three years, and layoffs declined - a bit of hope for a weak economy. Still, many employers are in no rush to fill openings.
It is likely that President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform will include a value-added tax (VAT) as part of a deficit-reduction package to be delivered after the November elections. The problem is that there is a fundamental flaw in the VAT that more than offsets its revenue-raising appeal.
