Trump and Harris: Who Gets the Most Credit for This Bad Idea? 

In June (I think it was), Trump announced that he was going to make workers’ tips nontaxable. Then last week, Harris made the same promise. I’m still shaking my head over that decision: to make the first promise of her platform something that her opponent had promised two months earlier. But what’s really concerning is that the idea, however tasty it may sound as a political popsicle, sours very quickly if you give it any thought.

Thankfully, the WSJ did give it some thought when Trump first mentioned it, and concluded that it could:

* Create a two-tiered labor market where tipped workers would gain a significant advantage over other low-wage employees.

* Push tipping culture into new spaces, even as consumers already complain about how often they are asked to tip.

* Blow a hole in the federal budget.

Click here for details.

Another Shout-Out to Japan 

The US was #1 in the 2024 Paris Olympics, with a total medal count of 126, including 40 golds. China was next with 91 medals, including an impressive 40 golds. And little old Japan – with one-third the population of the US and a hundredth of China – came in third place with 45 overall and 20 golds!