Thomas Savidge
Prior to joining AIER, Mr. Savidge was a Research Director at the American Legislative Exchange Council focusing on tax and fiscal policy. He was a co-author of several publications focused on public pensions, public retiree benefits, bonded obligations, tax and expenditure limits, and state taxes. In 2020, Mr. Savidge published a peer-reviewed study on Tennessee public retirement systems with the PERI Center at MTSU titled, “Tennessee Public Pensions: A Model for Reform.”
Mr. Savidge has also written articles published in The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register, Taxnotes, The Washington Post, US News & World Report, The New York Post, and The Daily Caller.
Articles
Resolutions for the Fiscal New Year
“Many lawmakers in DC make resolutions to be more fiscally responsible, but much like our New Year’s resolutions, they rarely follow through.” ~Thomas Savidge
From ‘Taxachusetts’ to ‘City Upon a Hill’
“Tax and spending reform takes more than ‘electing the right people.’ It must be politically profitable for the wrong people to make the right choices.” ~Thomas Savidge
AIER Explainer Series Demystifies Public Debt
“The debt problem is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Research shows that raising taxes covers barely a fraction of the outstanding debt.” ~Thomas Savidge and Ryan Yonk
Understanding Public Debt
Whether at the federal, state, or local level of government, the rate of growth of government debt is unsustainable. Fortunately, solutions are available for all levels of government.
Price Theory and Portion Sizes: Why Chipotle Got Cut for Cutting Costs
“Chipotle leadership could try the risky option of waiting out the bad PR, but the brand may not be willing to take that risk. It’s not expensive for customers to switch to a Chipotle substitute.” ~Andrew den Boggende and Thomas Savidge
Money First, People Last?
“Higher corporate tax rates will bring about exactly what people like Senator Hawley fear: the control of the market in the hands of a few key players by means of force.” ~Thomas Savidge
Why Does the Federal Government Borrow?
“Policymakers have an incentive to finance spending with money printing and debt to hide the cost of spending from taxpayers. These costs cannot be hidden forever, though.” ~Thomas Savidge
Texas Continues to Push Back Against ESG, But Is It Enough?
“The TPSF manages funds designated for education on behalf of Texas taxpayers. If the funds have lower returns because of asset managers’ ESG crusades, Texas taxpayers are on the hook.” ~Paul Mueller and Thomas Savidge
Taxpayer Rights Revival in California
“With inflation shrinking the purchasing power of their dollar and faced with higher tax bills because of ‘bracket creep,’ taxpayers are starting to push back against wasteful government spending again.” ~Thomas Savidge
Take the Government Out of GDP
“Tax revenues are harvested from private citizens by means of coercion and extractive measures… Paying taxes to remain free of incarceration or not face withering financial penalties is hardly indicative of cooperative exchange. ” ~Tom Savidge and Peter C. Earle
