Although the U.S. budget deficit just hit a five-year high, an economist could explain why politicians and voters are not worried.…
What You Need to Decide About the Future of the Federal Budget
While the CBO’s (Congressional Budget Office) 2018-2028 report presents federal budget projections, the numbers also reflect the tradeoffs and some tough decisions.…
Next Week's Budget Problems
Always contentious, the federal budget needs to be approved by October 1st or a continuing resolution needs to enable discretionary federal spending.…
Unusual Ways to Achieve Deficit Reduction
Hoping to diminish their country’s deficit, last year, Malta’s President and Parliament decided to sell citizenship. The price tag is $891,000 and the perk is that Malta is in the EU. Cons…
The PIIG's Progress
Almost everyone seems to be debating the same issues. Spend less, tax more, or both? Now perhaps Portugal has made some progress. Hoping to bring its budget deficit down to 4.6% of GDP in 2011, their …
Fiscal Commission Deja Vu
On Amazon (“gift wrap available”), you can purchase the 1995 “Final Report to the President” of the “Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform”. During Fe…
A New Kind of Misery Index?
11.84 is the current level of our “misery index” if we use what Arthur Okun (economic advisor to Lyndon Johnson) created. November unemployment + inflation rates = 11.84. However, accordin…