Podcast appearances and mentions of ben murrey

The state of Iowa does not have a Department of Government Efficiency, however, Iowa lawmakers began improving government efficiency through a state initiative known as “alignment” more than a year before the American public ever heard of a “DOGE” at the federal level. Common Sense Institute commission a report that evaluates Iowa's 2023 government alignment. Specifically, it identifies the portion of the 2024 tax cuts attributable to the savings from alignment and uses dynamic modeling to forecast its economic impact on the state. That report, titled "Iowa's D.O.G.E.: How state government alignment is retuning money back to Iowans and contributing to the state's economy" can be found here.  By controlling the rate of growth in government, Iowa lawmakers increased state surpluses over the last five years even while cutting taxes and expanding total state spending. During a period when individual income taxes fell from a top marginal rate of 8.98% to a flat rate of 3.8% and the top corporate rate fell from 12% to 7.1%, total state spending rose by nearly 23%. Education and healthcare saw the greatest increases in spending. When revenue growth outpaces the growth in government, the state can increase its revenue and spending even as tax rates fall. State government alignment helped moderate government growth over the last 18 months, resulting in significant savings for the state budget relative to the counterfactual. Chairman and Host Earl Wright welcomes Ben Murrey, Director of Policy and Research, to Common Sense Digest to discuss the report. The two discuss the origins of the program, the reduction in taxes for all Iowans, and how crucial services were maintained (and sometimes expanded), all while eliminating redundancies and cutting budget.   Thank you for listening to Common Sense Digest. Please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. All of our podcasts can be found here.

Iowa Business Report Tuesday EditionJan. 21, 2025    Ben Murrey of Common Sense Institute Iowa on how our state rates in the new national Free Enterprise Report on economic competitiveness between states. 

On this week's edition of the Iowa Business Report:Appropriate and available housing is important in growing a state workforce. Ben Murrey of the Common Sense Institute Iowa shares research showing Iowa fares well compared with other states.Unemployment increases may impact another Fed rate cut next week.And in our Business Profile, you'll learn the full story behind the Brick Kitchen Store in Independence.Support comes from the Iowa Business Council, on line at iowabusinesscouncil.org.

Iowa Business Report Friday EditionDec. 13, 2024    Ben Murrey of Common Sense Institute Iowa on the economic benefits tied to Iowa being a low crime state.

Iowa Business Report Thursday EditionOct. 31, 2024    Ben Murrey of Common Sense Institute Iowa on the group's research showing the impact of inflation on Iowa and the Midwest.

Iowa Business Report Tuesday EditionSep. 17, 2024          Ben Murrey of the Common Sense Institute Iowa, discussing research on Iowa's competitiveness, which ranks favorably with other states.

Iowa Business Report Friday EditionJul. 12, 2024    Ben Murrey of the Common Sense Institute Iowa on the sustainability of the current package of state income tax cuts with respect to Iowa's overall budget.

Iowa Business Report Friday EditionJun. 07, 2024     Ben Murrey of the Common Sense Institute-Iowa with data on how many jobs will be expected to be created as a result of the most recent state income tax cut, signed into law last month.

Ben Murrey ('12)Director of Policy at the Common Sense Institute Making an Impact in the World of PoliticsBen Murrey (‘12) is the Director of Policy at the Common Sense Institute, a role he recently started. At Hillsdale, Murrey majored in Politics and promised never to work in politics, but after graduation took a job working on Ted Cruz's Senate campaign. He shares his experience starting as a campaign volunteer and continuing in his career working at multiple levels and realms of state and national politics. His previous roles included a Legislative Correspondent and Aid for Senator Cruz and Fiscal Policy Center Director for the Independence Institute.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

University of Iowa's homegrown star, Caitlin Clark, began her college basketball career playing in empty arenas at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now she competes in sold-out arenas wherever she goes—and for good reason. During her 4-year college career, Clark has broken countless records on the court and brought an unprecedented level of excitement to women's basketball. Meanwhile, Iowa has felt her impact inside and outside of the arena. The athlete's talent and celebrity has led to soaring attendance at games, and larger crowds generate more economic activity. Our recent study, Clarkonomics: The Impact of Caitlin Clark & Hawkeye Women's Basketball on Iowa's Economy is not the first to explore the economics of Clark's superstardom, but it takes a unique approach. Past reports and news coverage have highlighted the money behind Clark's brand deals, ticket sales, and media coverage, along with other anecdotes of economic impact. In contrast, this report takes a data-drive approach to quantifying the impact of Iowa women's basketball and Caitlin Clark's extraordinary college career on the economy of the state of Iowa. To discuss this report, and all things Caitlin Clark, our Chairman and Host Earl Wright welcomes Ben Murrey, CSI Iowa Director of Policy & Research. They discuss the real economic impact Caitlin Clark's remarkable talent and career have had, why she is representative of Iowa as a whole, and much more.  Thank you for listening to Common Sense Digest. Please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. All of our podcasts can be found here. Ben Murrey is Iowa Director of Policy and Research with the Common Sense Institute where he leads the research efforts of CSI Iowa to provide insightful, accurate and actionable information about the impact of public policy on Hawkeye families, businesses and communities. Prior to joining CSI in January of this year, Ben spent over a decade in political and public policy roles at the state and federal levels. After earning his degree at Hillsdale College, he joined Ted Cruz on the campaign trail, first as a grassroots field director overseeing 45 rural east Texas counties and later as assistant director of operations. He went on to serve seven years as a legislative staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas and Washington, D.C. Most recently, he served as fiscal policy center director at Independence Institute, a free market think tank in Colorado. In addition to leading reports on a range of fiscal, tax and economic issues, Ben's writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Real Clear Policy and more. His work has contributed to public policy change at the state and federal levels that advanced sound tax policy and free enterprise.

Iowa Business Report Wednesday EditionMarch 20, 2024       Ben Murrey of the Common Sense Institute Iowa says Iowa compares well with other states in terms of jobs data. 

Iowa Business Report Friday EditionMarch 08, 2024       Ben Murrey of Common Sense Institute Iowa, which recently published a report indicating Iowa's economic performance ranks among the top third of states in the nation.

In January, CSI made a bold move to kick off 2024 and launched in two new states: Iowa and Oregon. Both states are already releasing new studies and engaging in the public policy arena. Along with its successful counterparts in Colorado and Arizona, as well as a newly launched chapter in Oregon, CSI Iowa is guided by a board of local leaders, each bringing expertise from various industries. These board members share CSI's dedication to factual and non-partisan policy analysis.  To discuss the launch of CSI Iowa, our Chairman and Host Earl Wright is joined by Joe Murphy, President of the Iowa Business Council and the inaugural CSI Iowa Board Chair, and Ben Murrey, CSI Iowa Director of Policy & Research. They discuss why Iowa is suited for a new chapter of Common Sense Institute, the unique strengths and challenges facing Iowa currently, and give a sneak peek of some of the research to come from this new chapter. It's an exciting look into CSI's newest expansion, and we're thrilled to continue to provide our non-partisan research to Iowans as they consider public policy in their state.  Thank you for listening to Common Sense Digest. Please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. All of our podcasts can be found here.

Thank you for listening to the 39th episode of "This Week's Economy." Today, I cover: 1) National: -Why the new U.S. jobs report is not as strong as some say -Inflation rates have moderated but still remain well above the Fed's 2% target -Federal Reserve paused again with its federal funds rate target in the range of 5.25-5.5%, supporting a boost in the stock market and likely lower mortgage rates 2) States: -Sustainable Colorado Budget was released that I authored with Ben Murrey at Independence Institute, which provides a path forward for the Centennial state to return to its TABOR roots and buy down the income tax -School choice challenges face Texas as many state leaders are against it 3) Other: -Don't miss my latest LPP episode with Jennifer Huddleston discussing problems with regulating technology, including AI -One of my latest op-eds argues why China is not our biggest threat -Argentina's new president makes significant strides that could set an example for the U.S. Please share this episode on social media and provide a rating and review. Also, subscribe and see show notes for this episode on Substack (www.vanceginn.substack.com) and visit my website for economic insights (www.vanceginn.com). Click the link to enter a giveaway for a complimentary subscription to my Substack newsletter and a free copy of "The Soul of Civility" by Lexi Hudson by simply making a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you can get all of the paid benefits: https://gleam.io/1TiJl/let-people-prosper-substack-newsletter-subscription-free-copy-of-the-soul-of-civility-by-lexi-hudson

Thank you for listening to the 31st episode of "This Week's Economy," where I briefly recap and share my insights on key economic and policy news. Please share thie episode on social media, and provide a rating and review. Also, subscribe and see show notes for this episode on Substack (www.vanceginn.substack.com) and visit my website for economic insights (www.vanceginn.com). Today, I cover: 1) National: Economic uncertainty from dysfunction in Congress, home sales slide to the slowest since 2010, and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell indicates extended pause in interest rate hikes; 2) States: Texas continues to debate passing Universal School Choice, and data on California and New York's spending shows that increased state spending does not necessarily decrease poverty or improve schools, and; 3) Other: Recap of last week's excellent podcast with guest Ben Murrey from Independence Institute discussing the importance of maintaining Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, and a sneak peek of my upcoming podcast episode with special guest Texas State Representative Brian Harrison.

Today, I'm joined on episode 66 of the "Let People Prosper" show by Ben Murrey, director of the Independence Institute's Fiscal Policy Center: We discuss: 1) What he learned about the transactional nature of relationships on Capitol Hill during his 7 years working in D.C. alongside U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX); 2) What Republicans can learn from Democrats about collaborating together for the greater good; and 3) How Colorado's Proposition HH on the ballot now, which would reduce tax refunds and further weaken the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR), and why legislators should instead pass Sustainable Colorado Budgets and use surpluses to reduce and eliminate total income taxes. If you enjoyed the show, please rate it 5 stars, leave a review, and share it on social media. For show notes, thoughtful insights, media interviews, speeches, blog posts, research, and more, please check out my website (www.vanceginn.com) and subscribe to my newsletter on Substack (www.vanceginn.substack.com).

The latest out of Israel. Then - one month from today is Election Day! Ben Murrey from the Independence Institute joins us to discuss Prop HH. A brief recap of the Jim Craig dentist murder trial, and sound from an Israeli woman with kidnapped relatives. We play the trailer for our film this week: "Syriana" from 2005.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PROP HH MUST DIE And I'm going to keep having Ben Murrey from the Independence Institute on until it does. Today we're going to talk about renters getting screwed the hardest and ask why is this on the ballot if it's a tax decrease? He's on at 1.

During this last hour of the program, Ben Murrey, Director of the Fiscal Policy Center at Independence Institute calls in to talk about Proposition HH and the IRS's effort to take Coloradans' TABOR refunds. Next, Jimmy breaks down Thursday's Denver school board meeting, which exposed an expense tab run amok. Finally, Jimmy and Peter Boyles remember 9/11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During this last hour of the program, Ben Murrey, Director of the Fiscal Policy Center at Independence Institute calls in to talk about Proposition HH and the IRS's effort to take Coloradans' TABOR refunds. Next, Jimmy breaks down Thursday's Denver school board meeting, which exposed an expense tab run amok. Finally, Jimmy and Peter Boyles remember 9/11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PROPOSITION HH IS A BIG FAT LIE And the Independence Institute's Ben Murrey explains how the shady as hell ballot language is fooling people into thinking this is something it clearly is not. You need to not only pay attention to this TABOR stealing nonsense that will bring an embarrassingly small amount of relief this year while robbing us of our TABOR refunds forever. I've got Ben at 1 today to talk about it.

An upcoming ballot measure in Colorado would allow massive expansion in government spending and weaken the Colorado Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR), the nation's strongest taxpayer protection. At the tail end of Colorado's legislative session, Governor Jared Polis signed a property tax bill that now requires voter approval. If approved, TABOR would be gutted in exchange for a small short term cut to property taxes. Known as Proposition HH, this proposal tempts voters with the promise of property tax cuts, while its real purpose is to water-down TABOR's revenue and spending limits. Ben Murrey, Director of Fiscal Policy at the Independence Institute described the package as a “boondoggle of a property tax plan.” According to The Center Square, it would decrease TABOR refunds by 23%. TABOR is the gold standard for tax and expenditure limits (TELs). Since its adoption by voters as a state constitutional amendment in 1992, it has helped to restrain the growth of government and returned billions of dollars to Colorado taxpayers. The attacks on TABOR aren't new. The property tax “cut” is only the latest gimmicky attempt to unleash the leviathan of big government on hard-working Coloradans. Special Guest: Nick Stark.

Deborah is joined by Ben Murrey the Director of Fiscal Policy at the Independence Institute in the wake of a Denver District Judge rejecting the lawsuit against Polis' Property Tax shell game. They discuss next steps to protect your finances in the wake of skyrocketing property assessments.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chuck & Julie Show with Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden and guests Judd Dunning and Ben Murrey Author and commentator Judd Dunning talks about the “Patriot's Path for Tucker Carlson”. Plus Ben Murray with the Independence Institute on Gov. Polis' property tax con game he's playing on Colorado homeowners.

At the 11th hour of the legislative session, Governor Jared Polis and Democrats in the Colorado General Assembly are attempting to get a ballot measure approved for November to use TABOR refunds as stopgap relief for soaring property taxes. Ben Murrey, fiscal policy director for the Independence Institute joins Dan to tell voters not to buy this sleight of hand and vote down Proposition HH this fall, even if it means short-term pain for property owners - TABOR must be preserved at all costs. Also, Denver City Council resident communist Candi Cdebaca wants white-owned businesses to pick up the tax burden for black-and-brown-owned businesses with a wealth redistribution scheme.

Deborah is joined by Ben Murrey the Director of Fiscal Policy at the Independence Institute to discuss the final frenzy of crazy tax bills being pushed in the last day of the state legislature.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TGIF and Happy Cinco de Mayo! Talk of an AI letter generated to "The Colorado Six." The COVID-19 pandemic declared over, and the CDC Director says she's now leaving. Lisa Sweeney-Miran [Moron] is booted off the Boulder Police Oversight Panel... womp womp womp. Music for Cinco de Mayo. Then - sound from a Trump deposition released today in an alleged rape trial. We juxtapose the CO House Dems tweet vs. the AI letter. Ben Murrey from the Independence Institute joins us for more on SB 303 and what would be Prop. HH. We wrap the hour with our "Week In Review" audio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aren't we glad we repealed the Gallager Amendment now?  Look at those HUGE property tax valuations!!  Jimmy Sengenberger fills in for George and speaks with Ben Murrey of the Fiscal policy Center at the Independance Institute.  Ben outlines how the "fix" from Gov. Polis and the democrat legislature is really a way to weaken TABOR instead of solving the problem.  (but what did you expect)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aren't we glad we repealed the Gallager Amendment now?  Look at those HUGE property tax valuations!!  Jimmy Sengenberger fills in for George and speaks with Ben Murrey of the Fiscal policy Center at the Independance Institute.  Ben outlines how the "fix" from Gov. Polis and the democrat legislature is really a way to weaken TABOR instead of solving the problem.  (but what did you expect)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aren't we glad we repealed the Gallager Amendment now?  Look at those HUGE property tax valuations!!  Jimmy Sengenberger fills in for George and speaks with Ben Murrey of the Fiscal policy Center at the Independance Institute.  Ben outlines how the "fix" from Gov. Polis and the democrat legislature is really a way to weaken TABOR instead of solving the problem.  (but what did you expect)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://i2i.org/about/our-people/ben-murrey/

THERE IS NO PATH TO ZERO INCOME TAX IN COLORADO RIGHT NOW And I'm talking to Ben Murrey from the Independence Institute about the bill that was killed on party lines in committee that would have used TABOR refunds to get us there. You should read his article about it here but none of you are going to be surprised that Democrats used OUR MONEY to buy votes. Just saying.

Big tax hikes are on the ballot & cuts as well. Colorado and Massachusetts tax policies are covered by Paul Craney, Mass Fiscal Alliance, & Ben Murrey, Independence Institute. South Carolina Policy Council kicks things off with rainy day fund measures that will enable tax cuts.

Liz Cheney would rather the Dems stay in power than have Republicans control Congress. Jeff also interviews Ben Murrey, Director of Fiscal Policy at the Independence Institute, who compares what Gov Polis said he would do to what he is actually doing. And the leadership at the Air Force Academy is employing woke policies that are dividing the military and the country.

Mika Brzezinski is nearly brought to tears on MSNBC, and late-night comics take aim at Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for sending a flight of migrants to Martha's Vineyard - proving he is right over the target. Also, Ben Murrey of Independence Institute discusses campaign tricks and tactics on taxes being played by Governor Jared Polis during an election year.

Does the Minimum Wage serve a purpose?  Jon Caldera fills in for George and question why we have a Minimum Wage.  They Jon welcomes, Ben Murrey, Fiscal Policy Analyst at the Independence institute to talk about Gov. Polis' strange budgetary voodoo.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Murrey, Fiscal Director of the Independence Institute, joins Kim to discuss Initiative 31. Kim Ware, Director of Outreach for  Christian Home Educators of Colorado, joins Kim to discuss how the pandemic has helped lead to a growing number of families turning to homeschool to educate their children.

The Chuck & Julie Show with Chuck Bonniwell and Julie Hayden and guests Ben Murrey and Frederick Bibik It's like the arsonist claiming he's a firefighter.   Ben Murrey, Fiscal Policy Director with the Independence Institute reveals a new study that shows just how much damage Gov. Polis did to small businesses… at the same time he's claiming to help them with his new budget.    Plus legal expert Fred Bibik with the latest on the Rittenhouse trial.

Frequent guest and co-founder of Liberty Toastmasters Brad Beck is in the studio to comment on his recent op-ed, Somnambulant, No More.  Somnambulant is French for sleep walking as in someone is awake but not aware of their surroundings.  Kim and Brad analyze the differences between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.  We live in a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy.  Involvement in local government is extremely important.  We must make the federal government smaller and have policies decided at the local level where the people are most impacted. Ben Murrey, Director of Fiscal Policy at the Independence Institute, joins Kim to discuss his article, Murrey: Governor Polis crippled small business, now offers crutches.  The Institute, under the guidance of Paul Prentice, published a report regarding the disruption from government policies during the COVID-19/Wuhan-China virus reaction disruption in the state of Colorado.  Some of the findings include:  Colorado definitively suffered economically due to the lockdowns in comparison to less restrictive states; small businesses declined by 43% from Pre-COVID-19/Wuhan-China virus levels to now; the leisure and hospitality industry was hit the hardest economically, and as a result the largest minority group, Hispanics, suffered the most financially and; the Fortune 500/box stores saw a 61.4% increase in profits while the mom and pop stores were deemed “unessential” and closed.  Polis, through policies, created the destruction of small businesses and now has a token offering by giving a waiver, in his proposed state budget for fiscal year 2022-23, on fees for those starting a new business. Marlin Kirsch, owner of Kirsch Insurance Group, explains the importance of reviewing your Medicare plan for 2022.  Anyone over 65 years of age who is part of this program, has until December 7th to make changes to coverage for 2022.  Kirsch Insurance Group works with most insurance carriers in Colorado and has proprietary software to analyze what policy works best for your individual prescriptions and needs. Kim and Brad continue their conversation regarding people who are waking up to the damages being done to our schools and our communities by leftist, activist policies.  Parents were extremely engaged in this last election. Policies implemented during the COVID-19/Wuhan-China virus were destructive to their children.  When parents advocated for their children, they were shut down by arrogant school board members, which increased tensions.  Education cannot be handed to the radical left.  Instead, parents must insist on their students' learning fundamentals like reading, writing and math along with civil knowledge.  It is taxpayers' money being spent and school board directors must be held accountable.  Much of the “new” money that flowed in due to COVID-19 policies was spent on programs that were ineffective or administration costs, not to aid in the success of the students.  Masks and vaccinations are other divisive issues, with most parents believing that it is a choice that must be made by parents and families, not school boards.  We definitely do not want to be like Austria where lockdowns have been imposed on all unvaccinated people.  It is very concerning that we should “show papers,” similar to Germany in the late 1930's, to go places.  We must all be active in our communities, including joining service organizations, presenting on a topic to students that we are knowledgeable about, attending board meetings, or becoming a member of a local board.  We must be

Pete welcomes Ben Murrey from The Independence Institute to talk about the CO economy under Governor Polis, as well as the "meeting of the billionaire minds" and the future of the Colorado G.O.P. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Murrey (Independence Inst): Is Jared Polis "Governor Unemployment"? * Tom Krannawitter: The Founders' views of our unalienable rights

Guest, Ben Murrey Progressive Dems are bound and determined to raise your taxes and destroy our transportation infrastructure at the same time. Ben Murrey with the Independence Institute explains just how costly a proposed bill will be. Plus mask madness and meltdowns.

Deborah kicks off the show with this week's headlines. Then, she is joined by Ben Murrey to talk about SB-260, the gas shortage and gas taxes. Ben is with the Independence Institute.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.