Tag: Government spending
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Avoiding bad decisions in good times
An associate of mine once said, “Some of the worst decisions are made in the best of times.” His observation pertained to negotiating agreements with labor unions but I was reminded of it by a news report saying local governments may eliminate 500,000 jobs across the country if Congress doesn’t pony up more federal tax…
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Why Bell, Calif. matters
The city manager of Bell, Calif., a town of some 38,000, earned $787,637 per year. He quit in the face of citizen uproar when this became public, but he’ll retire with a pension of about $600,000 annually.
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The ‘tax expenditure’ solution for our national debt
While most critics of government spending focus on entitlements, regular appropriations, and earmarks, there is a category of spending that not many pay much attention to. The spending is called “tax expenditures.” In Kansas some have been calling them “tax appropriations.” It’s a big issue. As economist Martin Feldstein writes in the Wall Street Journal,…
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Kansas fourth district candidates on spending and deficit reduction
In a June 22nd forum of candidates for the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas sponsored by the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, candidates were asked about their plans to reduce the federal deficit and national debt.
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Kansas Legislator offers more rebuttal of Kansas Senate President Morris
Recently Kansas Senate President Stephen Morris wrote an op-ed in which he explained the legislature’s reasons for passing a one cent per dollar increase in the statewide sales tax. That tax started on July 1. His piece may be read at State of the State KS.
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In Kansas, government spending is intertwined
While conservative political candidates talk of reducing spending, the reality is that federal government spending is so intertwined in our lives that spending reductions — much less actual cuts — are almost impossible to fathom.
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Kansas sales tax increase starts today
Today Kansans will face an added tax burden on retail purchases, as the statewide sales tax rate goes up by one cent per dollar. Touted by its backers like
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Earmarks and Kansas elections
The topic of earmarks is playing a role in contest for the Republican Party nomination for United States Senate from Kansas between Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran.
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Greenspan: U.S. must cut spending
Friday’s Wall Street Journal carried a piece by former chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan that is informative of the current state of the United States policy towards borrowing and spending.