“Good Debt” and “Bad Debt?”
AUTHOR: Joseph Minarik, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Committee for Economic DevelopmentYou’ve heard the story: A private business borrows money foolishly — say, to finance a corporate jet used mainly to fly the CEO off to ski. That borrowing surely results in “bad debt” — not necessarily debt that will not be repaid, but rather debt unwisely incurred, with little offsetting long-run benefit. On the other hand, the same firm might borrow to update its production equipment. That borrowing would increase debt, but it would be “good debt.
July 21st Event in Chicago: America’s Fiscal Future
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorThe 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 AdministratorFollowing 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.
See What DC Influencers are Saying About the National Debt
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorThe National Academy of Public Administration and Public Agenda held an engaging session highlighting the results of a new poll entitled “The Buck Stops Where? What D.C. Influencers Say About the National Debt,” which illuminates the views of DC “movers and shakers” on the national debt. Following the session, provocateurs Dr. Elaine Kamarck of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and John Castellani, President and CEO of Business Roundtable provided their insights and perspectives about how America can rise above the partisan divide that is impeding progress on the issue.
National Town Hall Meeting on US Budget
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorOn June 26, 2010 thousands of Americans in dozens of cities across the US came together to find common ground on tough choices about our federal budget.
Approximately 3,500 participants sent a strong message to leaders about the importance of action to strengthen the nation’s economy in the short-run and their willingness to make tough choices to address growing deficits over the long-term.
Hear What D.C. Influencers Are Saying About the National Debt on June 30th
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorJoin the National Academy of Public Administration and Public Agenda to hear the results of a new poll entitled “The Buck Stops Where? What D.C. Influencers Say About the National Debt,” which illuminates the views of DC “movers and shakers” on the national debt. There will also be a lively panel discussion of how America [...]
AmericaSpeaks National Town Meeting to Discuss the Nation’s Fiscal Future
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorOn June 26, 2010, thousands of Americans across the country will participate simultaneously in an unprecedented National Town Meeting to discuss the nation’s fiscal and economic challenges. “AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy” is a national conversation to find common ground on tough choices about the federal budget. Americans from across the country will come together to weigh in on strategies to ensure a sustainable fiscal future and a strong economic recovery.
The Buck Stops Where? What D.C. Influencers Say About The National Debt
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorAccording to a new survey by Public Agenda, the “movers and shakers” in Washington are worried about the national debt and believe there are practical solutions for it. At the same time, they don’t feel ownership of the problem and they believe that partisan politics stands in the way of any progress on the issue. The research, conducted under a grant from the MacArthur Foundation and using Harris Interactive’s “Beltway Influencer Ombnibus” survey, examined how those who set the debate and make decisions in Washington view the problem.
Click here to read the report and other materials from Public Agenda.
Fiscal Commission Holds First Meeting
AUTHOR: Fiscal Future, Site AdministratorThe President’s Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform held its first meeting today, April 27, 2010. The Commission’s 18 members have been tasked by Executive Order to make recommendations that will “balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, by 2015” and ”meaningfully improve the long-run fiscal outlook, including changes to address the growth of entitlement spending and the gap between the projected revenues and expenditures of the Federal Government.” Prior to the meeting, the President made remarks in the Rose Garden, flanked by Commission Co-Chairs, former Senator Alan Simpson and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles. To read his remarks or watch the video, click here.
Can Income Tax Rate Hikes Close the Deficit?
AUTHOR: William Ahern, Director of Policy and Communications, The Tax FoundationWhen David Walker was head of the General Accounting Office, he changed the agency’s middle name from Accounting to Accountability, but the concept doesn’t seem to have caught on in Washington. The federal deficit is projected by President Obama’s Budget to stay at previously intolerable levels for an entire decade: starting out above $1 trillion, dropping to the $700-to-$800 billion level, then rising back to $1 trillion.