Daniel J. Mitchell Quotes

United States, Economist
June 30, 1958

Daniel J. "Dan" Mitchell is a libertarian economist and former senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He is a proponent of the flat tax and tax competition, financial privacy, and fiscal sovereignty.

All the forms of double taxation in the current system are punitive and self-destructive because they are literally destroying people's incentive to provide that seed corn for future economic growth.

Daniel J. Mitchell
... both individuals and companies are using the Netherlands as a haven for productive activity. ... This is good news for all taxpayers. The rich directly benefit, since greedy politicians are unable to seize as much of their money. And the rest of us benefit, since this puts downward pressure on tax rates as governments try to keep the geese that lay the golden eggs from flying away.

Daniel J. Mitchell

Giving people like Dodd and Frank more authority is like rewarding an arsonist with gasoline and matches.

Daniel J. Mitchell
According to the Tax Foundation, taxes now consume more than 38% of the average family's budget. That is more than is spent on food, clothing, housing, and transportation combined. Compare this to the plight of medieval serfs. They only had to give the lord of the manor one-third of their output - and they were considered slaves. So what does that make us?

Daniel J. Mitchell
Politicians generally do the right thing only when all other options are exhausted.

Daniel J. Mitchell