|
|
Business & Economics PRESS ROOM |
|
|
|
A bone to pick with Bartlett on federal spending
Submitted by Benjamin Zycher, Ph.D, Alan Reynolds on 3.31.2010
Reps. Jeb Hensarling and Mike Pence recently called for a constitutional amendment limiting federal spending “to one-fifth of the economy.” Bruce Bartlett, a former official in the George H.W. Bush administration, promptly denounced the idea as “dopey,” one “terrible… on so many levels that it is hard to know where to begin to dissect it….”
Vallejo Goes for Broke
Submitted by Steven Greenhut on 3.31.2010
As California cities and counties struggle to fulfill the generous pay and pension commitments that they made to public employees during flush economic times, some politicians have taken comfort in a usually forbidding word: bankruptcy. Top officials in Los Angeles and San Diego have raised the B-word in recent weeks, and almost everyone is paying attention to developments in Vallejo (population 117,000), on the edge of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Growth Industry for Lobbyists: You, the Taxpayer
Submitted on 3.26.2010
Forget the stereotype of the lobbyists shilling for corporate welfare in the polished corridors of K Street. The biggest single market for the lobby industry is government itself, as state entities try to get (or keep) money and privileges flowing from legislatures.
Vallejo's Painful Lessons in Municipal Bankruptcy
Submitted by Steven Greenhut on 3.26.2010
In 2008, Vallejo, Calif., was nearly broke. Faced with falling tax revenues, rising pension costs, and unmovable public-employee unions, the city was unable to pay its bills and declared bankruptcy.
Legends in their own minds
Submitted by Steven Greenhut on 3.19.2010
When people ask why I moved to Sacramento to write about California's
notoriously dysfunctional government, I say that, in the next two or
three years, the government here is likely to (figuratively) crash and
burn and that, as a journalist, I want a front-row seat for the action.
Tort Reform
Submitted on 3.16.2010
Tort reform is a popular call-to-action when
it comes to healthcare legislation. In general tort reform in the
healthcare arena refers to reducing lawsuits or damages related to
medical malpractice...
One big lie says the U.S. is riding a reckless wave of capitalism
Submitted by Tibor Machan on 3.15.2010
The theory of the big (but good) lie goes back to a certain reading of Plato’s most famous dialogue, the Republic. There are more or less crude versions of it, but the gist of the theory is that for reasons of state — that is, so as to secure the chances of the ruler to rule smoothly — telling lies can be justified and may even be necessary.
Sunshine Week 2010: Sunshine is the Best Disinfectant
Submitted by Jason Clemens on 3.15.2010
KansasWatchdog will mark Sunshine Week with daily articles on government transparency.
Taxes pay government to lobby itself
Submitted by Jason Clemens, K. Lloyd Billingsley on 3.15.2010
California has the largest state economy, and the state Capitol jostles with players seeking a piece of the action. The biggest single lobbyist, however, is not Wal-Mart, Apple, Toyota, the entertainment industry or some fat-cat Jack Abramoff figure. The biggest lobbyist is government itself.
The $2 Trillion Hole
Submitted by Jonathan R. Laing on 3.15.2010
Promised pensions benefits for public-sector employees represent a massive overhang that threatens the financial future of many cities and states.
|
Total Records: 17
|
[
Next
]
|
|
|
|
|
 |
