Blogs

The government wrapped up Fiscal Year 2010 last week but let’s skip the champagne. The likely 2010 deficit of approximately $1.3 trillion and the previous year’s deficit of $1.4 trillion were the two largest federal deficits since World War II.But…

Fiscal Year 2010 ended last Thursday but no one was popping champagne corks. Little wonder. For the second year in a row, the federal government ran a budget deficit well in excess of one trillion dollars. (more…)

When Congress soon leaves the Capitol for the campaign trail, a long list of unfinished business will likely be left behind. This year will mark the first year since the modern budget process was created in 1974 that no budget…

What are the essential ingredients for Americans to meet the difficult fiscal challenges facing the country? Sara Imhof, Midwest regional director for The Concord Coalition, points toward civic engagement and a sense of stewardship.She sees good examples in Iowa, where…

A rational debate about tax policy should include whether to let the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire, says Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert Bixby. That would bring federal revenues up to about 20 percent of GDP by 2020 --…

House Republicans have outlined their fiscal priorities and ideas about reform in their “Pledge To America.” But while it correctly warns about the hazards of rising government debt, the Pledge lacks a plan to bring deficits down to a sustainable…

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who hopes to save the Pentagon $100 billion over the next five years, has explained in more detail how he plans to do so.Gates said contracting would be made more efficient and productive in a speech…

With the fiscal year nearly over, Congress unfortunately has not passed a budget resolution or enacted a single appropriations bill for the coming year. Attention has now turned to a continuing resolution to keep the government running after Sept. 30.…