In a speech to the Libertarian Party in Indianapolis, Michael Munger gives three things the government has to do to deal with the debt crisis: 1. Cut defense spending by by at least 15%. More than 15% — even better! 2. Sell US bonds in the Social Security trust fund. Also raise the Social…
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The Treasury Department reiterated that Aug. 2 remains the projected day the U.S. would start defaulting on its obligations. The U.S. reached its $14.3-trillion debt ceiling on May 16, but Treasury officials have been doing some complex financial juggling to push off the date at which the nation would start defaulting on its obligations….
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In a new article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Grasping budget’s billions and trillions: Incomprehensibly huge numbers mask real burdens,” Independent Institute Research Fellow Emily Skarbek (Director of the Government Cost Calculator) discusses the meaning and absurdity of the $3.8 trillion federal budget and the meaningless reforms being proposed. Taxpayers might have strong feelings about…
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No, I am not referring to the Allied Leaders in WWI, college basketball, or the top accounting firms in the U.S. The BIG FOUR of the Budget are Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Defense. Together they make up around 65% of non-discretionary spending. Today, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal are running…
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“My fellow Americans, I come to you today with a heavy heart. We have a crisis on our hands. It is one of our own making. And it is one that leaves us with no good choices. For many years, our nation’s government has lived beyond its means…We have not faced the hard reality…
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Seth McLaughlin at the Washington Times reports in “Fears rise that Japan could sell off U.S. debt” of the growing concerns that the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters and now economic crisis in Japan could trigger a major sell-off of there of its huge holdings of U.S. government debt. As of January, Japan is…
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In conjunction with its Government Cost Calculator, the Independent Institute is proposing cutting the 2011 Fiscal Year budget for the federal government by $2.5 trillion from the updated $3.7 trillion in spending projected by the Congressional Budget Office in January. The result would reduce federal spending by 67.6% with a surplus for the year…
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Visually explained in terms of shots of Jack Daniels in this video, here is the $1.5 trillion U.S. deficit and the absolutely feeble proposal by the Republican leadership to cut $100 billion (oops, now $74 billion). Meanwhile, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ludicrously called the Republican proposal “unworkable” and “even more draconian than…
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Terence Jeffrey reports at CNSNews.com that according to the U.S. Treasury Department, federal debt is rising at near record rates and if continued, Fiscal Year 2011 could produce a $1.708 trillion deficit, marking it second only to Fiscal Year 2009’s $1.89 trillion. The federal debt increased by $105.8 billion ($105,835,837,302.32) in January, according to…
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Independent Institute Senior Fellow Richard K. Vedder, a member of the Council of Economic Advisors for the Institute’s Government Cost Calculator, was interviewed by International PressTV on January 12th. In the interview, Dr. Vedder explains that President Obama has done nothing to rectify either the U.S. or international debt crisis. Indeed, under the Obama…
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