Author / Hoosier Econ

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Posts by Hoosier Econ

Located out of Central Indiana. Blogger of economics, politics and societal trends.
by Hoosier Econ

Obamacare Total Page Count on IRS Website

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Researchers at the National Taxpayers Union Foundation did a study on lost productivity in America due to our tax code. Washington Times published an article on it entitled “U.S. economy out $233.8 billion due to ‘lost productivity’ as Americans wrestle with taxes: Study”

An interesting number was in the study concerning the amount of pages Obamacare takes up on the IRS website:

the researchers also found a “staggering” 3,322 pages of legal guidance for the Affordable Care Act at the IRS website. The content includes regulations, Treasury decisions, assorted notices, revenue procedures, and revenue rulings.

As far as the study of our tax code, here are some sad numbers:

The study also notes that the estimated length of the Tax Code itself is about 4 million words. The study grimly recalls that the Form 1040 instructions were once just two pages long. “Today, taxpayers must wade through 209 pages of instructions, quadruple the number in 1985, the year before taxes were simplified,” it states.

by Hoosier Econ

How Many Wineries Are in Indiana?

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There are 76 wineries in the Hoosier state. Indiana produces 1.4 million gallons of wine a year, but it grows only 650 acres of grapes.

H/T TheStarPress.com

by Hoosier Econ

Venezuela Inflation Rate: 252%

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Via Steve Hanke, Cato Institute –

Venezuela has the dubious honor of registering the world’s highest inflation rate. According to my estimate, the annual implied inflation rate in Venezuela is 252%.

The only other country in which this rate is in triple digits is Ukraine, where the inflation rate is 111%. The only encouraging thing to say about Ukraine’s shocking figure is that it’s an improvement over my February 24th estimate of 272%

by Hoosier Econ

Walmart Expanding on College Campuses

I took a look at some Walmart store expansion numbers to see where the company is expanding. This is current data from February 2015.

First lets go overseas where they are ramping up in South Africa

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The current U.S. data is where I found the college campus expansion numbers.

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Here is more about the recent growth on college campuses via INSIDE Higher Ed –

In January 2011, Walmart opened its first location on a university campus at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, a half-hour drive from its corporate headquarters. Now, Walmart has announced that it will be opening a second campus location, at Arizona State University, with luck by May, according to Delia Garcia, a Walmart spokeswoman. A third location, at Georgia Tech, is slated to open at a to-be-determined time next year. “Walmart on campus is an opportunity to bring low prices to students, reach new customers and serve our on-campus customers in a convenient way,” Garcia said in an interview.

by Hoosier Econ

Cost To Recover Dead Illegal Immigrant Bodies in Texas

Illegals crossing the border and entering into American society is still happening even though media doesn’t talk about it. American politicians on all levels are very accepting of people coming into this country with no reprecussions. This is a real political philosophy being acted out. Here are some recent headlines in the news….

–Illegal alien who has been deported numerous times kills American

–California drivers license for illegal immigrants more than doubles expectations

The Blaze.com brings a story from Brooks County, Texas and their story of how many bodies of illegal immigrants they have cleaned up and total cost the county has asorbed doing this task.

    Martinez said many of the people who try to dodge the checkpoint don’t make it. He said more than 400 bodies have been found in the last six and a half years. “We estimate that we recover less than half of all those who perish,” he said. “From 2008 to 2014 the Brooks County has spent almost $700,000 for body recoveries.”

The financial cost is big but the human cost of finding all these bodies is astonishing to me in the sense of where Brooks County, Texas is located.

brooks county, Texas

This isn’t just right on the border where it can be brushed away as something trivial. This is 70 miles inside the United States with an expectation the body count actually being double. Along with the job of cleaning up bodies, deputies are reporting gunfire at them from Mexican drug cartels who are more aggressive.

This is all happening 70 miles INSIDE the United States…….

border dead body

by Hoosier Econ

Happy Easter from Hoosier Econ

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by Hoosier Econ

Man That Proved Consumers Are Naive Dies

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Via People.com –

Gary Dahl, the man who became a millionaire by selling ordinary rocks, died on March 23 at the age of 78.

Dahl, an advertising copywriter, thought up the Pet Rock in 1975, after listening to friends complain about having to care for actual pets. The Pet Rock became an unlikely fad through Christmas that year. They sold for $4 each, and Dahl became a millionaire by the time the product was discontinued in February 1976.

by Hoosier Econ

2015 Medicaid Spending Up 21%

The numbers are staggering in how fast medicaid is growing and spending. This isn’t a sexy topic to talk about but that is the psychosis of America’s political landscape today. Here is some recent news pertaining to this federal government social program.

Via Wall Street Journal –

    Medicaid enrollment has surged 19% nationally since ObamaCare’s expansion—50% in New Mexico, 65% in Oregon, 81% in Kentucky. The Congressional Budget Office reports that Medicaid spending rose 21% in the first five months of fiscal year 2015, “largely because of” ObamaCare.

Another source, The Heritage Foundation added more data to the topic of medicaid growth –

    This jump does not even include the Obamacare insurance exchange subsidies that are now in place—a $7 billion increase so far this year. Medicaid and the Obamacare subsidies account for $28 billion of the $88 billion in mandatory spending increases this year. The extent to which growth of Obamacare and other entitlements is responsible for this increase is even more pronounced than at first glance. Leaving GSEs out of the equation, increases in Medicaid and Obamacare subsidies accounted for half of the mandatory spending increase so far this year. Meanwhile, defense spending is down nearly 5 percent.

One more item from Heritage is the overall growth of entitlement spending.

    Chart 12 shows the growth of more than 80 welfare programs since 2007—including food stamps, unemployment insurance, housing aid, Medicaid, and disability payments. Some of these increases were results of the recession, while others were due to Obama policies that expanded eligibility and cancelled work requirements. Since 2008, spending has soared 37.2 percent in these programs. Since 2007, spending has mushroomed nearly 55 percent

entitlement spending

by Hoosier Econ

Pictures of Food Stamps Being Celebrated

Lauren Cooley over at TurningPointUSA.net found a celebration on social media of people using food stamps i.e. EBT cards. Take a look at the story here. I’m only posting 4 photos but she posted a lot more for the public to see.
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by Hoosier Econ

Music Industry Recording Revenue 1974 – 2009

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Forgot I had this in my records for a post. I have no idea where I got it from so I apologize for not being able to give anyone their proper credit. The numbers are fascinating.