Government Spending

Obama On Defense As Republicans Pounce On Critical Issue

AP | KEN THOMAS and JIM KUHNHENN | Posted 05.27.2012

Read More: Debt, Obama Debt, Video, Debt Ceiling, Federal Government Spending, President Obama, Government Spending, Obama Spending, Obama Government Spending, Barack Obama, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- Government spending and debt are emerging as a campaign tug-of-war, with Mitt Romney blaming President Barack Obama for a "prairie fire ...

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Since Johnny Can't Read, He Probably Can't Spell 'Big Government' Either

Tanya M. Acker | Posted 05.18.2012

Read More: Government Spending, Education Reform, European Elections, School Budgets, Literacy Rates, Literacy, Illiteracy, Education News
Tanya M. Acker

I am not so naïve as to be unaware of the obstacles to any such "pie-in-the-sky" educational initiative -- teachers unions and culture warriors who object to science-based curricula being among them -- but we've fried bigger fish before.

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What's in the Highway Bill?

James Kotecki | Posted 05.04.2012

Read More: Funny, Jokes, Highways, Transportation Bill, Shovel-Ready, Humor, Government Spending, Highway Bill, Transportation, Political Satire, Comedy News
James Kotecki

Next week, House and Senate lawmakers will begin negotiating a massive new transportation bill. Where does all the money go?

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Defense Department's New Definition of 'Commercial Item' Will Save Money

Project On Government Oversight | Posted 05.02.2012

Read More: Government Spending, Defense Spending, Department of Defense, Government Contracting, Military Industrial Complex, Politics News
Project On Government Oversight

The Department of Defense is taking a major step in stopping the waste of taxpayer dollars. The legislative proposal is a huge improvement over the current definition, a broadly worded definition open to abuse.

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One Sign The Recovery May Be Stumbling

AP | PAUL WISEMAN and CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER | Posted 04.27.2012

Read More: U.S. Economy, u.s. Economy Problems, Video, u.s. Gdp Growth Q1 2012, Business News, Government Spending, Business Investment, U.S. GDP, Gross Domestic Product, u.s. Gdp Growth, U.S. Gross Domestic Product, Business News

WASHINGTON — Don't panic yet. The government reported Friday that the economy got off to a tepid start this year, but that doesn't foreshadow a ...

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Becoming the Sustainabilitity We Seek

Rich Tafel | Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Government Spending, Politics, Social Entrepreneur, Social Entrepreneurs, Policy, Fundraising, Social Entrepreneurship, Politics News
Rich Tafel

It is time for the nonprofit sector to change the rules that change the world. It must become the sustainability it seeks from others. Until there's a shift from scarcity to sustainability, we will never drain the swamp.

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Official To Remain Silent At Hearing Over Embattled Agency

AP | LARRY MARGASAK | Posted 04.14.2012

Read More: Congressional Hearing, Video, Gsa, Darrell Issa, Martha Johnson, Government Spending, Jeffrey Neely, Gsa Scandal, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- A General Services Administration executive will assert his right to remain silent at a congressional hearing next week into the agency'...

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Fifth Grader Says: 'I'm Kind of Mad at the Government'

Jo Comerford | Posted 04.13.2012

Read More: Taxes, Income Tax, Tax Day, If I Had a Trillion Dollars, Federal Income Tax, Congress, Federal Spending, Government Spending, 112th Congress, Money News
Jo Comerford

It's imperative that all Americans get informed and engage in the heated debate over how our tax dollars are spent by our nation's government. It's both our right, our responsibility and the exquisite privilege of our Democracy.

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Innovation Requires Risk, but... Government Risk?

Joan Michelson | Posted 04.09.2012

Read More: American Competitiveness, Doe, Arpa-E, Government Responsibility, Government Spending, Congress, Sbir, Job Creation, Business News
Joan Michelson

The lesson that seems to be lost on Capitol Hill these days is that it's not about investing in winners. It's about hedging bets by investing in a number of innovative technologies knowing that some will thrive and others will lead to new ones that thrive.

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The Pentagon's Weapon Programs: Delivering Less, Later, for More Money

Ben Freeman | Posted 04.06.2012

Read More: Government, Pentagon, Politics News, Politics, Military, Foreign Affairs, Budget, Government Spending, Politics News
Ben Freeman

The takeaway for taxpayers and Congress when considering initial estimates is simple: Don't believe them. They paint an unrealistic picture of cost, delivery times, and, often, capabilities.

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Obama By Default

Robert Scheer | Posted 04.05.2012

Read More: Robert Scheer, Speech, Bush, Clinton, Economy, War, Ron Paul, Obama, Campaign, Democrats, Election, 2012, History, Politics, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Wall Street, Republicans, Government Spending, Elections 2012, 2012 Election, Military Spending, Defense Spending, Politics News
Robert Scheer

The GOP has defined itself indelibly as the party of moneyed greed and unfettered imperialism. The Republicans are a sick joke, and their narrow ideological stupidity has left rational voters no choice in the coming presidential election but Barack Obama.

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Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?

Jeff Davidoff | Posted 04.04.2012

Read More: Taxes, April 17 Tax Day, ONE Campaign, Tax Day, Tax Day 2012, Government Spending, One Tax Tool, One, April 17, Impact News
Jeff Davidoff

There's so much talk in the news about Social Security, Medicare, and foreign assistance spending. It got us wondering how much we contribute to each. Well, thankfully we've now got a simple way for you to find out.

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Government Spending on Autopilot: Prepare for the Crash

Lenwood Brooks | Posted 04.04.2012

Read More: Government Spending, Federal Budget, GOP Budget, Federal Budget Deficit, Obama Government Spending, Budget, Discretionary Spending, Social Security, Mandatory Spending, Medicare, Politics News
Lenwood Brooks

Congress must take control of the federal budget process, which means taking responsibility for all spending programs to get the deficit under control. If Congress doesn't start relearning how to fly, we all need to be prepared for a fiscal crash.

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In The Public Interest : States Make Spending More Transparent, but Some Far Ahead of Others

Phineas Baxandall | Posted 05.20.2012

Read More: Arkansas, Texas, Transparency, State Spending, Transparent Government, Government Spending, Kentucky, Arizona, U.S. PIRG, Government Transparency, Subsidies, State Governments, State Rankings, Politics News
Phineas Baxandall

Transparency in government expenditures promotes fiscal responsibility, checks corruption, and bolsters public confidence in government. We need more of it.

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Feds Admit They're Not Growing Economy

The Huffington Post | Bonnie Kavoussi | Posted 03.05.2012

Read More: U.S. Economy, Government Deficit, John Boehner, Economy, President Obama, Government Spending, Obama Administration, Obama, Eric Cantor, Barack Obama, Austerity, US Economy, Government, Video, U.S. Government, Government Budget Cuts, Government Spending Cuts, Economic Growth, Austerity Measures, Business News

The government is the second largest component of the U.S. economy, making up one-fifth of all economic activity. But federal, state and local gov...

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The Myth of the Out-of-Control Federal Government

Bob Greenstein | Posted 04.30.2012

Read More: Deficit, Debt, Entitlements, Baby Boomers, Social Security, Medicare, Federal Government, Federal Budget Deficit, Government Spending, Federal Spending, Federal Budget, Politics News
Bob Greenstein

My colleague at the Center, Richard Kogan, authored a wonderful summary of our new report tackling the question, "Are the Size and Reach of the Federa...

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Facts Are Stubborn Things

Al Checchi | Posted 04.29.2012

Read More: Government Spending, Deficit, Politics News, Politics, Economic Policy, Economic Crisis, Politics News
Al Checchi

If we look at the economic facts without prejudice, we must conclude that despite all the changes in our circumstances, booms and busts, activist and conservative government, war and peace, there has been a remarkable constancy and consensus in the actual conduct of our fiscal policy -- until recently.

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"That My Child May Have Peace"

Al Checchi | Posted 04.22.2012

Read More: Government Spending, Deficit, Politics News, Economic Stimulus, National Debt, Politics, National Deficit, Economy, Politics News
Al Checchi

With all the rhetoric and finger-pointing between Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, the 1% and the 99%, all have been part of the problem and no one has mustered the courage to tell it like it is.

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Big Losers In Contentious Debate Cry Foul

AP | JIM ABRAMS | Posted 04.22.2012

Read More: Federal Worker Salary, Payroll Tax Cut Extension, Federal Pay, Video, Federal Workers, Payroll Tax Cut Extension Deal, Unemployment Benefits, Federal Government Spending, Government Spending, Federal Worker Pay, Politics News

WASHINGTON — Federal workers have become the go-to targets as Congress, and the White House, search for ways to lower the deficit, pay for tax c...

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Obama vs. Obama: One Budget, Two Competing Visions of the Future

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted 04.21.2012

Read More: Unemployment, Stimulus, Government, Barack Obama, Austerity, Federal Budget Deficit, Budget, Government Spending, Obama Budget, Jobs, Buffett Rule, Federal Budget, Politics News
Richard (RJ) Eskow

The Western world is divided between two visions of our economic future. One is of austerity and the other is of growth. One is of hope and possibility, the other of despair and cynicism. The battle between these two visions has divided the United States and the entire Western world.

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Entitlements Hysteria

Jeffrey Sachs | Posted 04.18.2012

Read More: Entitlements, Wall Street Journal, Health Care Spending, Federal Budget, Obama 2013 Budget, Economic Crisis, Budget, Economy, Government Spending, US Economy, Financial Crisis, Obama Budget, Medicaid, Medicare, Health Care, Healthcare, U.S. Economy, Politics News
Jeffrey Sachs

One of the unshakable myths of the punditariat is that the federal government is going bankrupt because of entitlements spending, especially spending on Medicare and Medicaid. This is a stampede of unreason, contradicted by the facts.

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Occupy The Truth: Whistleblowers Conference Rolls Into UC Berkeley

Greg Archer | Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Government, Government Bailout, Occupy Wall Street Protest, Activism, College, Federal Government, Protest, Occupy Wall Street, Government Spending, UC Berkeley, Bradley Manning, Bradley Manning Wikileaks, #Occupywallstreet, Annie Sprinkle, Occupy Movement, Video, Naomi Pitcairn, San Francisco News
Greg Archer

An upcoming three-day political huddle, dubbed "Occupy the Truth: Whistleblowers Conference," piqued my interest. Think of it as an advocate/activist/info-gathering fest.

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Obama's Budget Bomb: He Proposes Spending Increases, While Disarming America

Ken Blackwell | Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Pentagon Spending, Budget Cuts, Economy, Budget, Economic Crisis, Government Spending, Obama Budget 2012, Obama Administration, Defense Budget, US Economy, Pentagon Budget, National Security, Obama Budget, Financial Crisis, Defense Spending, U.S. Economy, Missile Defense, Politics News
Ken Blackwell

In terms of actual cuts in defense spending, Obama is shifting the focus from what is known to work in missile defense to developing futuristic missile intercepts which will require years of experimenting at great expense to taxpayers while a vulnerable America waits.

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The Party of 'And' vs. the Party of 'Or'

Paul Abrams | Posted 04.13.2012

Read More: Government Spending, Built-to-Last, Republicans, President Obama, Democrats, Free Enterprise, Economy, Gop vs. Democrats, Politics News
Paul Abrams

America has always been at its best, and achieved exceptionalism, when it has been a country of "And" -- , as the preamble to the Constitution says, liberty AND justice AND the general welfare. Republicans are the party of "OR."

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The Purple Tax Plan

Laurence J. Kotlikoff | Posted 04.08.2012

Read More: Taxes, Deficit, Federal Budget Deficit, Fiscal Crisis, Government Spending, Taxation, Fiscal Policy, Fiscal Responsibility, Politics News
Laurence J. Kotlikoff

The Purple Tax Plan is a simple, transparent, efficient, and progressive tax system. It will help the economy save, grow, produce jobs, and deliver higher wages.

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