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jwetzler.bsky.social
Tax wonk. Former Chief Economist of the Joint Committee on Taxation and New York State Tax Commissioner
90 posts 1,133 followers 72 following
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Worth noting that, if the Republican Congress shifts Medicaid and other costs to the states, that strengthens the case for an unlimited deduction for state and local taxes.

submitted 19 hours ago • 0 comments

Good to see IRS won’t allow DOGE access to personalized data. It’ll just get the anonymized data available to researchers.

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

I like it when people correct their mistakes. Congrats to Wendy Edelberg and Ben Harris, who presented a paper last week arguing that concerns over a crisis in the Treas. market were overblown. Today, an op-ed arguing that a crisis may be imminent owing to Trump’s defaulting on gov’t obligations.

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

As the battle for NYC Mayor rages on, we need to ensure City Council is filled with bright, focused, experienced people who will hold any Mayor to account and prioritize New York City residents. @voteben.nyc is 100% that person. Come support him on Thursday! contribute.nycvotes.org/campaigns/be...

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/15/n... This is important. Carl McCall is the best-liked figure in NYS politics. Contra Eric Adams, Carl’s in fine fettle.

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Lots of discussion of how Democrats in Congress should use their leverage in the appropriations fight next month. Schumer and Jeffries need to think strategically. The first rule of government shutdowns is make sure you don’t get the blame for them.

submitted 22 days ago • 0 comments

The good news is that his deal with Trump pretty much guarantees that Eric Adams will lose the June primary. I imagine Andrew Cuomo will enter the race shortly.

submitted 23 days ago • 5 comments

In the February @artforum.com, I reviewed the Guggenheim's baggy Orphism survey: www.artforum.com/events/orphi...

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

In 1979, President Carter imposed an oil import tariff. Congress didn’t like it, passed a bill rolling it back, and overrode Carter’s veto. A rare occasion of a president’s being overridden by a Congress both Houses of which were controlled by his political party. Different times!

submitted 24 days ago • 0 comments

Republicans claim economic growth will address budget deficits. The problem is policy operates to increase the level of GDP, which only affects its growth rate over the few years when they are having their impact, not over the long-run. No way policy can double growth rate over a 10-year period.

submitted 26 days ago • 0 comments

Guessing that one consequence of letting MAGA political players control Treasury’s payments system is that, when the debt ceiling brouhaha occurs this Spring, they will try to prioritize payments to MAGA constituencies. Doubt it will be effective.

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

Can anybody explain to me what concessions Trump wants from Canada and Mexico?

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

I suppose some enterprising business will pay the tariff, pass the cost on to its customers and then sue for a refund on the grounds that the tariff exceeds the President’s legal authority.

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

A number of Republican Members of Congress want to run for Governor in 2026. Are they really going to vote for Medicaid cuts that would create a colossal problem for themselves should they get elected?

submitted 54 days ago • 0 comments

When debating the extent to which Biden economic policies were responsible for inflation, it is useful to distinguish between 2021 and 2022. Inflation in 2021 was inevitable owing to the COVID structural changes. Inflation in 2022 was more of an overheated economy and more preventable.

submitted 54 days ago • 0 comments

Left and Right Alike Are Blind to Trade-Offs by @jasonfurman Very insightful advice from Jason Furman.

submitted 56 days ago • 0 comments

Two weeks to go in the Biden Administration. Am I the only tax guy who’s wondering why Treasury hasn’t done anything to thwart the BOXX transaction, which purports to convert interest income into capital gain? Treasury appears to have ample authority to end it, at least prospectively.

submitted 60 days ago • 1 comment

Hard to see NY’s new climate change assessment surviving scrutiny under the Commerce Clause. The assessments (taxes) bear no relationship to the amount of business done in NYS. They fail to meet the standard of fair apportionment.

submitted 68 days ago • 0 comments

NYS passed a law under which the state will assess big fossil fuel producers for costs of mitigating climate change based on their past production. Will the assessment will be shifted to NY consumers? Guess it depends on whether sellers to NY consumers will expect future such assessments.

submitted 69 days ago • 0 comments