Fiscal Policy
The new Democratic Congress really is changing the way things are done in Washington, aren’t they? I’ll leave it up to the reader to define “change” (h/t) in John Fund’s story: Democrats promised reform and instituted “a moratorium” on all earmarks until the system was cleaned up. Now the appropriations committees are privately accepting pork-barrel…
The Governor has just releases his State budget proposal for next year. Scott Mayerowitz of the ProJo chose to highlight the “several accounting tricks, one-time sources of revenue and other gimmicks to balance his tax and spending plan,” (sheesh, no in-story editorializing there, Scott) and glossed over one major source of cuts (state workers). Ray…
Ah yes, see how much has changed! Looks like the House Democrats earmark reform bill is being supported by most Senate Republicans and a few Democrats….but the heartiest opposition is being put up by Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (via Glenn Reynolds). TPM Muckraker has one report and Andy Roth at the Club For Growth…
The new Democratic-led Congress has passed so-called pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules that require new spending or new tax-cut legislation to be approved by a 3/5 majority, if the Federal budget deficit is projected to increase because of it. Pay-as-you-go, however, is a misnomer. The Federal budget will continue to increase on autopilot under the House’s version…
There are a few gaps that need to be filled in Mark Arsenault‘s Republican Senate debate follow-up article appearing in today’s Projo. The article contrasts the positions of Senator Lincoln Chafee and Mayor Steve Laffey on the issues of taxes and spending. 1. Though Arsenault’s description of the PAYGO rule supported by Senator Chafee regarding…
