Christine Harbin

Bio

Christine Harbin considers widespread economic freedom to be one of the most important goals for sound public policy. She holds undergraduate degrees in economics, mathematics, and French from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.
Income Inequality is Not a Problem: The Free Market is Making All Americans Richer (Debate)
By Christine Harbin
Editor's note: This article is part of a debate on income inequality with Michael De Los Santos. For his response, see here. The grass is always greener on the other side. The so-called "99 percent" are green with envy for top earners, and they want…
90% of Teen Girls Have Tried Dieting — And That's a Good Thing in the Obesity Battle
By Christine Harbin
Apparently, 90% of teen girls have been on a diet, or have thought about dieting. Too often, people throw around this statistic like it's a bad thing. Americans do have a weight problem, but it's not the one that anti-diet crusaders describe. Our…
Could Obama Have Won the Wisconsin Recall For Tom Barrett?
By Christine Harbin
On Tuesday, all eyes will be on Wisconsin and the results of the Scott Walker recall election. Gubernatorial elections don't normally attract this much attention, but this one is important because it will be a bellwether for November. If Scott…
Wisconsin Recall Means Voters Are Tired With the Left, and Will Rein in Government
By Christine Harbin
After a long and bitter recall process, Scott Walker on Tuesday kept his seat as governor of Wisconsin, with 53% of the vote. So what does Walker's win mean? It's important for a number of reasons. It means that people realize that Walker's reforms…
Green Energy Subsidies Hurt the Economy
By Christine Harbin
Renewable energy technology has a long way to go before it is viable, and the government should leave the problem up to the private sector to find a solution. Green energy subsidies are bad in practice and in principle, and they should be cut…
SpaceX Launch Successful: Why the Private Sector Has a Future in Space Travel
By Christine Harbin
Take two! On Tuesday morning SpaceX will make its second attempt at launching a spacecraft destined for the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft was supposed to launch over the weekend, but SpaceX aborted the…
What SpaceX Shares With Facebook and Apple, on the Eve of Its Historic Launch
By Christine Harbin
SpaceX is in the final stages of preparation for its long-awaited Falcon 9 rocket launch on Saturday to boost the company's unmanned Dragon cargo ship on an inaugural flight to the International Space Station. If successful, this will mark the first…
SpaceX Will Be the Next Solyndra Disaster if Government Holds Space Privatization Back
By Christine Harbin
This week, SpaceX is scheduled to make its much-anticipated launch to the International Space Station. This embodies the growing role of the private sector in space travel. While the government is scaling back its financial support of space…
Facebook Founder Eduardo Saverin Drops US Citizenship to Avoid Paying Taxes on $100B Payday
By Christine Harbin
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) isn't the only person to renounce citizenship this week. Eduardo Saverin, the billionaire who co-founded Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg renounced his U.S. citizenship for tax purposes. By doing so, Saverin can pay less…
Obama's Economic Policy is Failing: U.S. Economy Needs Less Government Intervention
By Christine Harbin
It's becoming increasingly clear that the wealth redistribution policies of the Obama administration are failing to revive the economy. Indeed, incomes are falling, jobs are going overseas even while job growth is sluggish here at home, and…
Chrysler Sales Soar, And Americans Clearly Don't Want Fuel Efficiency
By Christine Harbin
New sales numbers show that Chrysler just had its best April in four years. The company sold over 141,000 vehicles last month — a 20% increase compared with sales in April 2011. Meanwhile, other major automakers fared less well — Ford and GM sales…
Don't Rip Apple for Dodging Taxes: U.S. Tax Code Needs to be Fixed Immediately
By Christine Harbin
On Sunday, the New York Times featured how Apple sidesteps billions in taxes by routing its profits to low-tax regions, such as Nevada and Ireland. By minimizing their tax liability, Apple's management team is keeping expenses as low as they legally…
Study: Millennials Care the Most About Unemployment, Not Climate Change or Income Inequality
By Christine Harbin
Harvard University’s Institute of Politics released a report that sheds light on the issues that are important to millenials. Spoiler alert: it's not climate change, it's not fixing income inequality — it's the unemployment rate.  On domestic…
Ford and Other Corps Cheat Employees of $700 Million in Taxes
By Christine Harbin
States are allowing private companies to withhold personal income taxes from their employees, and keep the money for themselves. According to a recent report from Good Jobs First, more than 2,700 companies in 16 states do this, totaling nearly $700…
Matt Taibbi Fuels Controversy Over Obama JOBS Act
By Christine Harbin
President Obama signed the JOBS Act into law last week, but there continues to be controversy over it. The "Jumpstart Our Business Startups” Act includes measures that are supposed to help small businesses and startups grow, but it may end up…
Obama 'Buffett Rule' Won’t Solve America’s Budget Problems
By Christine Harbin
In a speech delivered Tuesday, President Obama is proposing hiking taxes on the wealthy to fix America’s fiscal problems. The Buffett Rule would require millionaires to pay at least 30% of their income in taxes. Not only is this flawed tax policy,…
Apple CEO Tim Cook Uses Publicity Stunt to Smooth Over Chinese Factory Labor Controversy
By Christine Harbin
Apple is in the middle of a labor scandal. While CEO Tim Cook recently toured a Chinese factory that makes Apple products, he said he was struck by the poor working conditions. Shortly thereafter, Apple commissioned an audit that confirmed the…
Ron Paul Turnout Hurt by Spring Break and Mitt Romney Can't Relate to the Working Man in Wisconsin Primary
By Christine Harbin
What are your friends saying about the election? My friend who is a vocal Democrat says that he is voting for Mitt Romney in the primary because, “I want this to be over and Romney isn't terrible.” He tells me that he knows some Democrats who say…
State tax credits fail to create jobs; Missouri Ford plant is proof as it lays off workers despite subsidy
By Christine Harbin
I often discuss on PolicyMic that government subsidies are terrible policy, in theory and in practice. Here's another problem with state-driven economic development: Companies that lay off workers are often still eligible for job-creation tax…
With Economy Improving, Pro-Business Policy Is the Best Social Policy
By Christine Harbin
Pro-business polices are pro-people policies. When the government fosters a climate that encourages economic freedom and rewards success, then everyday people do better. More often than not, social policies end up hurting both people and businesses.…