Miscellaneous
Pre-emptive Regulation of Vertical Integration Could Harm Consumers
Pre-emptive regulation of vertical integration could harm, rather than help, consumer welfare because integration is not predictive of future market problems, states Bruce Owen in “Antitrust and Vertical Integration in ‘New Economy’ Industries” released today by the Technology Policy Institute. According to the author, “Toadying to uninformed populist fears of vertical integration between network providers and content creators by imposing investment-dampening ex ante regulatory constraints is likely to be far less useful to the public than steps to ensure effective competition among network providers.” Instead, he suggests ex post antitrust enforcement could address specific market abuses. The paper is a preliminary version prepared for the recent TPI event, “Antitrust and the Dynamics of Competition in High-Tech Industries.”
Should the Government Prepare Individual Income Tax Returns?
Simplifying the complex U.S. tax code is the most direct way to reduce both the public and private costs of complying with the federal income tax, but tax reform is extraordinarily difficult to achieve. Some analysts have argued that return-free filing systems, such as those used in other countries and in the state of California, could substantially reduce the costs for many individual taxpayers with relatively simple returns at little or no net administrative cost to the government.
Return-Free Tax Filing Would not Result in Cost Savings
Adopting a return-free federal income tax system, or Simple Return, would introduce a host of challenges and would not result in overall cost savings, state Arlene Holen and Joseph Cordes in “Should the Government Prepare Individual Tax Returns?” released today by the Technology Policy Institute. The paper was submitted to the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in response to the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board’s report to the President on options for changing the current tax system.
Smart Grid Issues Discussed at TPI Aspen Forum
The increased use of electronics in our daily lives has strained America’s electricity infrastructure. Can “Smart Grid” technologies and the modernization of the power infrastructure keep up with the increased demand for energy? Are incentives and other programs helping at the state and federal levels? Is Smart Grid a prudent investment that will benefit consumers, or an expensive boondoggle fraught with standards, control and gold plating issues? The Technology Policy Institute Aspen Forum will feature a breakout session on Smart Grid technologies, their implementation, and related issues for utility regulators. The session is one of three off-the-record discussions scheduled at the Forum, to be held August 22 – 24 at the St. Regis in Aspen, Colorado.
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