Here are two headlines: “Budget Proposes $845 Billion Slash to Medicare Spending” “Budget Proposes 88% Boost in Medicare Spending” One would think these are competing budget proposals from two diametrically … READ MORE
The Trump Budget: Five Things to Like, Five Things to Loathe
The President’s annual budget is here. Contrary to some coverage, it’s not just an $8.6 billion wall funding request surrounded by 149 pages of gobligook. It is a visioning document … READ MORE
It’s Time to End Washington’s “Use-it-or-Lose-it” Spending Culture
In Washington, Christmas doesn’t come in December, but September. As OpenTheBooks.com describes in a new report, “use-it-or-lose-it” spending – the federal government’s frantic rush to spend whatever is left in … READ MORE
Fast Facts from the High Risk Report
Every two years since 1990, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases its High-Risk List – a compendium of the areas of government with “greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and … READ MORE
A Solutions-Oriented Guide to Government Gaffes
The fourth edition of the Senator James Lankford (R-OK) Federal Fumbles book came out this week. The annual oversight report is taking a different approach this year. Rather than being … READ MORE
Golden Corral Economics: A Live-For-The-Moment Excuse to Spend Without Restraint
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa1_73Uvwnk[/embed] There’s a recently trending view among economists and commentators that deficits don’t matter as much anymore. Former International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Economist Olivier Blanchard started the trend in … READ MORE
Sorry Porkers, All Spending is Already “Congressionally-Directed”
House Democrats recently announced they would not be reviving the practice of earmarking or pork barrel spending this Congress. The news came as a surprise. Democrats signaled back in January … READ MORE
Congress’s Self-Esteem Problem
It is no secret that the 2020 Democratic presidential primary is attracting a lot of potential candidates and, by some reports, could even be the largest presidential primary of a … READ MORE