Budget

President-Elect Obama Suggests Defaulting on the National Debt

Dean Baker | Posted 01.07.2009 | Politics

Read More: Financial Crisis, Social Security, Budget, Medicare, Health Care, Economy, Economic Crisis, Politics News
Dean Baker

If the budget situation is so dire that it is necessary to default on the government debt, then surely we should be considering defaulting on the bonds held by wealthy bankers.

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Tax Brackets

Dave Johnson | Posted 01.06.2009 | Politics

Read More: Taxes, Budget, Barack Obama Taxes, Financial Crisis, Progressive Taxes, Income Tax Bracket, Economy, Politics News
Dave Johnson

So, let's talk taxes, beginning with the basics. I have found that many people don't really understand how taxes work, so I want to write a bit about that here.

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Bush to Hamas: Stop Wasting Money on War in Middle East

Chris Kelly | Posted 01.03.2009 | World

Read More: George Bush, Military Industrial Complex, Gaza, Budget, Hamas, Defense Spending, Iraq, Israel, World News
Chris Kelly

In his latest radio address, President Bush lambasted Hamas for "spending its resources on rocket launchers instead of roads and schools." Is he really that unconscious or does he say these things just to make people crazy?

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New Year's Resolution

Roseanne Colletti | Posted 12.31.2008 | Business

Read More: Debt, Finance, Money, New Year, Economy, Spending, Budget, Resolution, Savings, Cash, Business News
Roseanne Colletti

Do you even remember what you resolved to do in 2008? Even if you don't, there's nothing to be gained by beating yourself over the head with the old year.

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Deficit or Depression?

Robert Kuttner | Posted 12.28.2008 | Politics

Read More: Economic Stimulus Package, The Great Depression, Inflation, Deficit Spending, Economy, Budget, Government Stimulus Package, Financial Crisis, New York Times, Politics News
Robert Kuttner

The government needs to spend a lot of money, so that the collapsing private economy does not end up as Great Depression II. When recovery comes, we can get the budget closer to balance.

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Vegan Living: Accidentally Vegan Shoes

Katie Molinaro | Posted 12.16.2008 | Living

Read More: Natalie Portman, Vegetarian, Fashion, Animal Rights, Shoes, Budget, Vegan, Accidentally Vegan, Vegan Living, Living News
Katie Molinaro

One of the most challenging things when I first became a vegan was finding shoes. And not just vegan shoes, but stylish, not made from hemp vegan shoes.

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Peaceful Revolution: The Kitchen Table

Elizabeth Cox | Posted 12.04.2008 | Living

Read More: Debt, Kitchen Table Conversations, Divorce, Relationships and Finance, Economic Crisis, Economy, Saving for College, Budget, Kitchen Table Issues, Family Budgeting, Budget Planning, Saving Money, Living Within One's Means, Budgeting, Peaceful Revolution, Causes of Divorce, Saving for Retirement, Balancing a Budget, Financial Crisis, Personal Debt, Money Saving, Living News
Elizabeth Cox

With many facing the worst economic crisis in a generation, there is no better time to open up communications with your loved one than now.

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Is Obama a Budget Hawk?

Harry Moroz | Posted 11.26.2008 | Politics

Read More: Politico, New York Times, Peter Orszag, Budget, Transition, Spending, Barack Obama, Politics News
Harry Moroz

The president-elect seems to be focused on more than increases and decreases in spending, a framing conservatives and Blue Dogs use to describe just about all government programs.

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McCain's Circular Logic Firing Squad

Max Bergmann | Posted 10.30.2008 | Politics

Read More: Breaking Politics News, John McCain, Budget, Mccain Flip-Flop, Defense Spending, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Politics News
Max Bergmann

McCain is for cutting spending, but McCain is against Obama cutting defense spending, so when Obama is for cutting, McCain is for increasing (except he's still for cutting). Clear?

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McCain Plan: Repeal Arithmetic

Robert S. McElvaine | Posted 10.20.2008 | Business

Read More: John McCain, George H. W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Budget, McCain Voodoo Economics, Financial Crisis, Bob Schieffer, John Anderson, Barack Obama, Recession, Business News
Robert S. McElvaine

John McCain's promise to balance the budget is Voodoo Squared. But to understand what that means, someone has to understand enough simple mathematics to know what "squared" means.

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McCain Has $47 Million To Spend In October

AP | JIM KUHNHENN | Posted 10.20.2008 | Politics

Read More: $47 Million, John McCain, Election Day, October Spending, Budget, 2008 Presidential Election, Politics News

WASHINGTON — With Democrat Barack Obama holding a clear financial advantage, Republican John McCain is fine tuning his advertising message and i...

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What Could $700 Billion Buy?

Allison Stevens | Posted 10.09.2008 | Politics

Read More: Women, $700 Billion, Poverty, Budget, Economy, Politics News
Allison Stevens

With the recent passage of the banking industry bailout package, $700 billion is now a household figure. But what that amount of money could buy is no...

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Friday Talking Points [49] -- Before And After The First Debate

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.26.2008 | Politics

Read More: Debate, Barney Frank, Mccain, Red to Blue, Campaign, Dscc, Sarah Palin, Offshore Drilling, Bailout, 2008, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Craig Ferguson, Katie Couric, Drilling, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Pork, Reid, Great Depression, Presidential Debate, Budget, Congress, Letterman, Joe Biden, 08, Barack Obama, Biden, Election, Howie Klein, 08 Election, Elections, Mddotw, Leadership Challenge, Appropriations Bill, Harry Reid, Credit Card, Dodd, Debates, Adjournment, Senate, Bill of Rights, Obama, Chris Dodd, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Cbs, Omnibus, Presidential Debates, Bush, Pelosi, Continuing Resolution, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Financial Crisis, 700 Billion, Adjourn, John McCain, House, 2008 Elections, 2008 Election, Ferguson, 08 Campaign, Offshore Drilling Ban, Palin, Late Night, 2008 Presidential Race, David Letterman, Frank, Politics News
Chris Weigant

[UPDATED -- See part 2 in the Talking Points section.] This week's column will be presented in a sort of semi-liveblogging fashion. What you're getti...

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Pentagon Budget Hits New Record

AP | ANDREW TAYLOR | Posted 09.24.2008 | Politics

Read More: Pentagon, Budget, Spending, Government Spending, Federal Spending, House of Representatives, Politics News

WASHINGTON — The House passed a $630 billion-plus spending bill Wednesday that wraps together a record Pentagon budget with aid for automakers a...

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California's Conservatives Want To Get What They DON'T Pay For

Dave Johnson | Posted 09.12.2008 | Politics

Read More: 9/11, Infrastructure, Republicans, Budget, Taxes, Politics News
Dave Johnson

California's elected Republicans continue to block any and all efforts to pass a budget, because any honest budget must ask the wealthy and big corpor...

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Recession Rhinoplasties and Low-Cash Flow Lipo

Leslie Goldman | Posted 08.19.2008 | Living

Read More: Plastic Surgery, Economy, Lipo, Layaway, Budget, Cosmetic Surgeon, Rhinoplasty, Recession, Liposuction, Living News
Leslie Goldman

A single gallon of gas in Chicago currently costs most than a sandwich, chips and a Coke. A ticket to fly -- coach! -- to my brother in LA is over $40...

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Textbook Downloads -- Green or Not?

Josie Garthwaite | Posted 07.31.2008 | Green

Read More: The Green Life, Kindle, Money, College, Budget, Books, Free Textbooks, Beer, Environment, New York Times, Green Living, Facebook, Students, Reading, Personal Finance, Green News
Josie Garthwaite

Four years' worth of college textbooks use the paper equivalent of yields from at least six 40-foot trees.

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Schwarzenegger's Reform Means Minimum Wage

Paul Peete | Posted 07.23.2008 | Home

Read More: Minimum Wage, Sacramento Bee, Budget, Sacramento, Arnold, Economy, Schwarzeneggar, November Elections, Republicans, Democrats, Gov. Schwarzenegger, Home News
Paul Peete

Will the same pay rates apply to the Governor and members of the California State Legislature? Their monthly postage allowance is more than federal minimum wage earners make.

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How to Balance the Federal Budget

Hale "Bonddad" Stewart | Posted 07.10.2008 | Business

Read More: Economy, Taxes, Balanced Budget, National Debt, Budget, Business News
Hale

Let's overlay the current economic environment -- we're in a recession and we're not getting out of it anytime soon. That means that tactically, this is a terrible time to increase taxes.

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Republicans: California Dreamin'

William Bradley | Posted 05.23.2008 | Politics

Read More: Delegates, Approval Rating, Race, Republicans California, Mccain, Election 2008, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Budget, Assassinated June, California, Politics News
William Bradley

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told me early this year that he would make sure that California was "in play" for the Republican presidential candidate. Schwarzenegger's belief is looking quite ragged.

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Job Killers -- Or Just More Fear?

Dave Johnson | Posted 05.20.2008 | Business

Read More: Jobs, Corporations, Lobbyists, Budget, California, Economy, Regulation, Consumers, Chamber of Commerce, Recession, Business News
Dave Johnson

The California Chamber of Commerce has released its annual list of what it calls "job-killer bills." Why is it that the hit-list seems to only target Democrats?

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The Middle Class Squeeze Is A Result Of LOW Taxes

Dave Johnson | Posted 04.25.2008 | Politics

Read More: Tax Cuts, Government, Proposition 13, Budget, Taxes, Politics News
Dave Johnson

It is a popular misconception that taxes add to the squeeze on the middle class. But it isn't tax increases that have squeezed the middle class, it's...

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Tax Cuts Make Us Poor

Dave Johnson | Posted 04.17.2008 | Politics

Read More: Tax Cuts, Taxes, Economics, Budget, Politics News
Dave Johnson

Some years ago the corporate-funded anti-tax, anti-government advocates paid their way to become the dominant voice in our civil discourse. They said...

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The Budget Debate for Grownups

Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson | Posted 04.16.2008 | Business

Read More: Miles Rapoport, John McCain, Robert Reich, Brookings Instituion, Budget, Baby Boomers, U.S. Budget, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Business News
Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson

If we continue doing nothing, in about 35 years, the government will have no money for anything other than Medicare, Social Security and interest on the money we've already borrowed.

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We Can't Afford This War Anymore

Hale "Bonddad" Stewart | Posted 04.12.2008 | Politics

Read More: Economy, Financial Crisis, Debt, Cost of War, Iraq, Federal Government, Budget, Politics News
Hale

I have been against the Iraq war from the very beginning. However, my arguments didn't rest on the lofty perches of ethics or morals; they rested on the far cruder cost benefit analysis of war.

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