Articles by: Fiscal FutureAuthor Archive
The Moment of Truth Has Arrived
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorDec 01, 2010
The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform released its long-anticipated report today. The report, The Moment of Truth, can be downloaded here. The full commission will vote on the report this Friday.
Are the Debt Reduction Stars Aligned?
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorNov 23, 2010
The National Academy of Public Administration invites you to an exciting discussion on how the changing Washington horizon will affect efforts to reign in the national debt. Please join us on November 30, 2010 from 8:30 am – 10:00 am. Click here for more details.
‘The Fall Will Probably Kill You’: The Deficit, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorNov 15, 2010
There’s a lot of talk about money in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, although most of the discussion is about how to steal it. There’s also a famous scene in which Butch and Sundance are trapped at the edge of a cliff, with a posse closing in behind them and a deep river gorge ahead. Butch says their only chance is to jump, but Sundance doesn’t want to do it. They bicker for a while and finally Sundance blurts out: “I can’t swim!” Butch bursts out laughing. “Are you crazy?” he asks. “The fall will probably kill you!”
Two Budget Documents Released
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorNov 11, 2010
Yesterday was a banner day for those of us who eagerly await budget reports and recommendations as two key documents were released for public consumption — a report by the Peterson-Pew Commission entitled Getting Back in the Black and the co-chairs of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, former Senator Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, released a draft “co-chairs’ proposal”.
Find a Path: Four Ways to Control the National Debt
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorOct 29, 2010
Everyone approaches the problem of the national debt from a different perspective, because fundamentally this becomes an argument over what you want the government to do – or not do. The debate gets tangled up in the very different (and legitimate) political views that people have. While this argument goes on, the federal government continues to borrow more and more money.
Fit the Budget To The Values, Not The Other Way Around
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorOct 26, 2010
At its heart, the federal budget isn’t about money. It’s about values. Sure, a panel of experts or a presidential commission can come up with ways to make the books balance. But the federal budget is an expression of what we value as a nation, and what our priorities are. What the government spends, how [...]
Set A Budget Target
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorOct 12, 2010
It’s just common sense: you can’t get anywhere unless you know where you’re going. Right? When it comes to the federal budget and the national debt, however, we don’t have any direction at all. The U.S. government doesn’t have any binding budget goals. None. Zippo. Nada.
Six Questions to Ask About the Federal Budget
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorSep 17, 2010
One of the biggest problems in the debate over our national debt and the federal budget is that no one seems to agree on what a “good” budget is. Does that mean a balanced budget? Or one that’s judged by the overall economy: small or no deficits in prosperous times; big deficits to stimulate the economy when times are bad? Is it based on the size of our national debt? Or maybe it’s about whether the budget is sustainable in the long run?
July 21st Event in Chicago: America’s Fiscal Future
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorJul 19, 2010
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago invite you to
“America’s Fiscal Future: Making Difficult Choices”. A discussion with the co-chairs of the expert committee that produced Choosing the Nation’s Fiscal Future.
Video Highlights from Discussion About the Views of DC “Movers and Shakers” on the National Debt
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorJul 09, 2010
Following a release of a recent poll published by Public Agenda, John Castellani, President and CEO of Business Roundtable and Dr. Elaine Kamarck, a faculty member from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a National Academy Fellow offered their differing views on how America can rise above the partisan divide that is impeding progress on the issue. Click through to see video highlights of their unique perspectives these issues.