By Nicole Crain and W. Mark Crain; Wall Street Journal The annual cost of federal regulations in the United States increased to more than $1.75 trillion in 2008, a 3% real increase over five years, to about 14% of U.S. national income. This cost is in addition to the federal tax burden of 21%, for a combined cost of 35% of national income. One out of every three dollars earned in the… Read more »

By; Washington Times Editorial An 18-month recession came to an official end in June 2009, according to a study released last week by the National Bureau of Economic Research. For good reason, few in the public believe it's over. With the economy stuck in neutral and unemployment locked at 9.6 percent, most see no choice but to keep cutting back because the future looks no brighter.… Read more »

By Ken Newton; St. Joseph News Press Congressional Democrats and the White House hailed passage Thursday of a bill meant to increase lending opportunities for small businesses. Republicans called it Bailout Redux. The U.S. House approved the Small Business Lending Fund Act by a vote of 237 to 187. Only one Republican, Rep. Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, sided with the… Read more »

By Wall Street Journal House Republicans released their "Pledge to America" campaign agenda yesterday, and it was quickly attacked by Democrats as dangerously radical and by the blogging right as dangerously cautious. The reality is that it's somewhere in between, a consensus document typical of Congress that is very strong in promising to shut down the Obama agenda but less clear as a… Read more »

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By Sarah Needleman; Wall Street Journal Several provisions of the health-care overhaul that go into effect on Thursday will expand the amount of coverage that many small-business owners provide their employees. But the changes are also expected to increase insurance premiums. The changes include restrictions on annual limits; new appeals processes; the extension of dependent coverage… Read more »

By Jeff Cornwall; Christian Science Monitor It looks like the so-called Small Business Bill is about to become law. So what will it offer our ailing small businesses? More debt and more government intervention. Most of the attempt at stimulating small business in the Small Business Bill comes in the forms of offering more loans to small businesses. This is coming from government… Read more »

By Chris Isidore; CNN Money With income tax rates set to go up on Dec. 31, Congress is hotly debating what to do next. But most economists agree: Keep them where they are. One option, to let the tax cuts passed during the Bush administration expire for only the richest 3% of taxpayers while renewing them for everyone else, is popular among Democrats and the choice of the Obama… Read more »

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By John D. McKinnon; Wall Street Journal The uncertainty over looming tax increases is starting to affect both investing and corporate decision-making. The economy remains the biggest factor in many investors' and businesses' decisions. But worries over whether Congress will extend some or all of the expiring Bush-era tax breaks are emerging as an important one. Stock prices of… Read more »