Budget
Return to Common Sense
March 7, 2013
Section: Domestic - Budget
“The ever
expanding budget reflects entitlements on autopilot to bankruptcy, monies for
redistribution back to states, and new unfunded programs added every year which
will require more than doubling marginal tax rates causing more damage than
good to address these shortfalls.”
“The nearest thing to
eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.”
Ronald Reagan.
Philosophy
(Background, Issues, Objectives):
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 created the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to prepare projections of federal spending
"based on the continuation of the existing level of government
services."
·
In 1985, the Deficit Control Act
ensured that spending would be adjusted to keep pace with inflation.
·
The Congressional
Budget Office (CBO) uses the "current services baseline" and
automatically increases the budgets of existing federal agencies every year
even if Congress and the Senate do nothing.
The budget process is defined,
established by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, the Congressional Budget
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, and other budget legislation.
·
The
President must submit a budget to Congress each year by the first Monday in February.
·
Each
year in March, the CBO publishes an analysis of the President's budget
proposals.
·
The
House and Senate Budget Committees each submit a budget resolution by April 1.
·
Appropriations
committees then put together appropriations bills, considered in the House
after May 15.
·
Once
appropriations committees pass their bills, they are considered by the House
and Senate, with a conference committee is typically required to resolve
differences between House and Senate bills.
·
Once
a conference bill has passed both chambers of Congress, it is sent to the
President, who may sign the bill or veto.
·
Congress
has not passed all of the appropriations bills before the start of the fiscal
year, so Congress then enacted continuing resolutions to provide for the
temporary funding of government operations.
o
In
2012, there are twelve appropriations bills which need to be passed:
§
Agriculture,
Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration.
§
Commerce,
Justice, and Science.
§
Defense.
§
Energy
and Water Development.
§
Financial
Services and General Government (includes judicial branch, the Executive Office
of the President, and District of Columbia appropriations).
§
Homeland
Security.
§
Interior
and Environment.
§
Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education.
§
Legislative
Branch.
§
Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs.
§
State
and Foreign Operations.
§
Transportation
and Housing and Urban Development.
o
Multiple
bills are sometimes combined into one piece of legislation, such as the Omnibus
Appropriations Act, 2009.
The federal government produces a budget
each year that would not pass a public audit.
- The Federal Financial
Management Improvement Act of 1996 required the publication of consolidated
financial statements using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP),
and the GAO provide an opinion on their condition.
- The Office of
Management and Budget publishes the budget.
o
The totals for the current and upcoming fiscal
years are only projected amounts.
o
Unfunded liabilities such as Medicare, Social
Security, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not included in the budget
numbers.
- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) oversees the use of
public funds.
o Establish accounting standards for the federal government
o Conduct audits of internal controls and financial management.
o Conduct program evaluations and analyses of a broad range of federal activities.
· In 2010 for the 14th year in a row, the U.S. Government was unable to express an opinion on the consolidated financial statements because of control weaknesses and other limitations.
Annual governmental budget process is
only a spending plan.
- Federal spending
has reached $25,000 per household in 2008.
- Budgetary
outlays consume almost 24% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010.
o
Government spending exceeds 50% of GDP in
o
Government spending is more than 45% of GDP in
o
Excessive government has serious adverse effect:
slower growth, higher unemployment, and lower living standards.
o
CBO projects federal spending to grow to 40% of GDP
due to entitlement growth.
- Total cost of mandatory entitlement spending is projected to leap
from 13.4% of GDP in 2010 to 14.1% of GDP by 2020:
o
Social Security is projected to expand by 6%
annually.
o
Medicare is projected to expand by 7% annually.
o
Medicaid is projected to expand by 8% annually.
o
Net interest spending will consume an additional 9%
to 46% of GDP unless programs reined in.
o
Increasing marginal tax rates will have to more than double, which
is not economically feasible as a solution to these run-away costs.
- Defense spending
(20% and recovering).
- “Discretionary”
spending (25% with open ended commitments).
- Grants to state
and local governments are over $400 billion.
- Earmarks and
pork projects are appended to existing legislation to avoid open voting.
- American people
understand little of the details, but understand the budget is in trouble.
- Spending
determined first, then superficial examination of revenue sources.
There are only two sources of
governmental revenue.
- Taxing
individuals and businesses.
- Borrowing.
The federal budget includes a staggering 1,804
subsidy programs,
including grants, loans, insurance, scholarships, and other benefits.
·
The growth in the number of subsidy programs
illustrates the government’s increasing disregard for federalism (the
constitutional principle that the federal government ought not to encroach on
state, local, and private activities).
·
State governments are becoming little more than
regional divisions of the national government and nonprofit groups and
businesses are becoming tools of the state.
In 2006 there were 814 federal grant
programs for state and local governments.
Government has built and continues to mismanage
several major infrastructure programs:
- Government
enterprises compete with private alternatives, but are paid for by public
funds.
- Public productivity rarely competes favorably vs. private
enterprise.
- Amtrak intercity passenger rail service (46 states) with no self supporting routes.
- Federal highway system (47,000 miles) with
no self sustaining revenue source.
- Postal Service (50 states) with competition
eroding the target customer base.
- High Speed Rail (HSR) for 125mph trains is stealth
subsidy for freight haulers.
Internet access is becoming personal and business
basic requirement.
- In 2005 74% of
Americans, including 94% of computer users, used the Internet
- Cable firms
served approximately 60% of broadband subscribers in 2005.
- Satellite, fixed
wireless, and broadband over power line technologies also compete for
customers
- Deployment of
universal broadband connections could create economic benefit of $400
billion a year.
- Online sales
totaled $76 billion in 2002, but still only 1.5% of all sales.
- Additional
competition in video services could lower cable bills by 15%.
Principles:
Government programs must each be self
sustaining.
- Programs must be
periodically examined for effectiveness.
- Spending can
only be driven by expected revenue.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
criteria for “emergency” spending (all five must be met):
- Necessary;
(essential or vital, not merely useful or beneficial)
- Sudden; (coming
into being quickly, not building up over time)
- Urgent;
(requiring immediate action)
- Unforeseen; and
- Not permanent.
Federal government should subsidize
interstate infrastructure projects.
- Once
infrastructure is constructed, then privatize its operation.
Inter-state wealth redistribution is not
a valid purpose for any program.
- If States need
money, they can tax their residents directly.
Recommendations:
Short
Term, Reform federal budget process:
- End baseline budgeting process with automatic
annual increases.
- Limit federal government spending to no more
than 20% of GDP.
- Require balanced budget for each year.
o
Institute biennial budgeting and
appropriations to restore order to the spending process.
o
Enact long term budgets and review at
least every five years with triggers or action-forcing devices that
automatically make changes when spending exceeds budgeted amounts.
o
Deliver annual report to American citizens of the
country’s financial condition.
- Comply with GASB 45 to establish an accrual accounting approach to
report the cost of benefit as an expense during the years in which the
employee is working.
o
Include State Children’s Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP) as separate line item.
- Isolate Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as a separate part
of the total budget converting them into regular “discretionary” programs.
- Require the President
and the Congress to jointly estimate the amount of revenue they expect
will be available as well as the fiscal year's
actuarially accrued "non-discretionary" expenses.
o
Appropriate
truly "non-discretionary" obligations, like Social Security and
Medicare, as the first task.
o
If
appropriations tasks from the previous year have not been completed, no new
appropriations should be allowed to ensure that accounting estimates are based
on complete and truthful information.
- Include a provision of
actuarially prudent reserves for any federal insurance programs or
guarantees now in existence or provided at the time Congress creates them
in the future.
o
Require
explicit, current recognition of the future costs for such specialized programs
as flood and crop insurance, Export-Import guarantees, and prospective bailouts
at the time they are granted rather than the time they are likely to be paid.
- Recognize mandates and
their enabling regulations as the responsibility of the federal government
and charged to the federal budget.
- Include a
complete and objective cost benefit analysis in any healthcare
regulations.
- Require
adherence to strict rules for use of “emergency” spending.
- GAO should
conduct an annual study of duplication in federal spending.
Require Dynamic Analysis to evaluate any new
tax policy macroeconomic changes:
- Identify explicit sources of funds for each spending program (or
group of programs).
- Limit spending based on projected sources of revenue.
- Recognize future
unfunded obligations in program budget estimates.
- Abolish use of
budget “trust funds”
since funds are virtual and easily diverted to spend on pork projects.
Use Performance Assessment Rating Tool
(PART) to evaluate existing program and regulation effectiveness.
- OMB should subject all major regulations to a benefit-cost analysis
before being implemented.
o
ExpectMore.Gov developed to monitor
program effectiveness.
o Calculate
benefits for all new programs, not just “major” (estimated economic
impact greater than $100 million; less than 1% of all programs) programs.
o Reduce
regulation compliance burden.
- Resurrect the “Byrd
Committee,” the Joint Committee on Reduction of Nonessential
Federal Expenditures, with subpoena powers to focus on making rescissions
in federal spending and requiring an up-and-down vote on the floor.
o
Terminate programs and regulations that are
ineffective or inefficient
Authorize a Presidential line item veto authority to limit
“earmark” and “pork” projects.
- Provide a searchable website showing spending from the Office of
Management and Budget.
o Empower
taxpayers to monitor federal spending with internet access tools.
- Enact a
Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TaBOR) to restrict
spending increases.
Require audits of all government departments based on standard
private business accounting practices.
- Each department should create a permanent board, whose charter is
to search out and identify waste.
- Give each
government department independent auditors.
- Compare
estimated vs. actual costs for all government programs.
Long
Term, Downsize government, with particular emphasis on
unsustainable entitlement spending:
- Abolish Cabinet departments not covered under enumerated powers
(see individual issue sections with 2010 budgets):
o
Department of Agriculture ($142.0 billion annually).
o
Department of Commerce ($16.7 billion annually).
§
Abolish
business subsidies should be abolished, including technology subsidies,
handouts to fishermen, and minority business aid ($1.2
billion).
§
Eliminate
Economic Development Administration funding ($469 million).
§
Terminate
the International Trade Administration ($389 million).
o
Department of Education ($106.9 billion annually).
o
Department of Energy ($38.3 billion annually).
o
Department of Health and Human
Services ($868.8 billion annually).
o
Department of Housing and Urban
Development ($62.5 billion annually).
§
Privatize Federal National Mortgage
Association (Fannie Mae), ($6.5 B).
§
Privatize Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
(Freddie Mac), ($6.5 B).
§
Privatize Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie
Mae).
o
Department of Interior (12.0 billion annually).
o
Department of Labor (209.3 billion annually).
§ Devolve Unemployment Insurance to the states ($134.4 billion annually).
§
Terminate Employment and Training Services ($4.8
billion annually).
§
Terminate Job Corps ($1.7 billion annually).
§
Terminate Trade Adjustment Assistance ($1.3 billion
annually).
§ Abolish
the regulatory activities of The Occupational Safety and Health administration
and The Wage and Hour Division.
o
Department of Transportation ($90.9 billion annually).
§ Devolve the Federal
Highway Administration ($51.8 billion annually) to the states.
§ Devolve the Federal
Transit Administration ($15.5 billion annually) to the states.
§ Privatize air
traffic control and end airport grants ($14.2 billion annually)
§ Privatize FAA Facilities (Air Traffic Control) & Equipment
($2.9B).
§
Devolve highway infrastructure to the states.
§
Privatize the nation’s airports, while ending
federal subsidies.
§ Devolve
seaport infrastructure to the states.
§ Devolve
St. Lawrence Seaway infrastructure to the states.
- Privatize major entitlement programs into personal accounts:
o
Medicare (325B) - Privatize
into Personal Health Savings Accounts.
o
Social Security - Privatize
into personal accounts.
- Devolve entitlement programs back to the states:
o
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
($62B)
o
Medicaid ($186B)
o
SCHIP.
o
State Payment for Family Support
($4.1B).
o
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
($18.1B)
- Privatize activities that could be performed better as a standalone
businesses:
o
Privatize the Postal Service ($8.1B).
o
Privatize Amtrak ($2.53 billion annually).
- Privatize activities that could be performed better by the private
sector:
o
Army Corps of Engineers ($4.9B).
§ Dams ($10.0B).
§ Energy Facilities ($10.0B).
o
Export-Import Bank.
o
Geographic Survey ($.5B).
o
Global Positioning Service ($7.0B).
o
Government Printing Office.
o
Legal Services Corporation ($350 M).
o
NASA ($15.7B).
o
National Weather Service ($2.3B).
o
Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation.
o
Retirement Insurance, including Social
Security ($527B).
o
Risk Management Agency ($3.4B).
o
Transportation Security Agency ($2.7B).
- Sell off excess federal assets:
o
Excess electromagnetic spectrum ($150B).
o
Commodity lands (Forest Service, BLM) ($160B).
o
Government buildings and lands ($10.B).
- Privatize federal insurance programs since the government has no
Constitutional role providing or guaranteeing insurance coverage:
o
Crop Insurance.
o
Flood Insurance.
o
Property Insurance.
o
Terrorism Risk Insurance (TRIA).
o
Windstorm Insurance.
- Devolve local programs back to the states:
o
Child Care Entitlement Grants ($2.7B).
o
Child Care & Development Grants ($2.1B).
o
Community Oriented Policing Services ($575M).
o
Community Service Grants ($631M)
o
Environmental Protection Agency ($3.6B).
o
Federal Transit Administration ($8.4B).
o
Foster Care & Adoption Grants ($6.5B).
o
Head Start ($6.8B).
o
Social Service Grants ($1.8B).
- Terminate corporate welfare and other mis-targeted
programs:
o
Administration on Aging ($1.4B).
o
Employment and Training Administration ($5.2B).
o
Low Income Home Energy Assistance ($2.1B).
o
Small Business Administration ($3.0B).
o
Substance Abuse & Mental Health ($3.2B).
o
Trade Adjustment Assistance ($1.1B).
- Terminate failed, outdated, and irrelevant programs:
o
Agency for International Development ($3.7B).
o
Corporation for Public Broadcasting ($466M).
o
Economic Development Administration ($392M).
o
Maritime Administration ($411M).
o
National Endowment for the Arts & Humanities
($254M).
o
Rural Development ($1.0B).
o
United Nations
($362M).
- Consolidate duplicative and contradictory programs:
o
At-risk youth.
o
Disabled.
o
Early childhood development.
o
Economic development.
o
Homeless assistance.
o
International education.
o
Safe water.
- Sunset programs, rather than trimming them or phasing
them out.
Subsidize building Internet of the
future across U.S.A. to provide universal wireless broadband access.
- Ban Internet access
services taxes (federal, state, and local).
- Limit video
franchising regulation.
References:
“The
Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith, 1776.
“Policy Recommendations for the 105th Congress”
published by CATO Institute, 1997.
“Downsizing
the Federal Government” by Chris Edwards published by CATO Institute,
2005.
“The
Debt Bomb” by Tom A. Coburn published by Thomas Nelson, 2012.
Citizens
Against Government Waste (CAGW)
tracks waste, mismanagement, and inefficiency in the federal government and
publishes at http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer .
Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) ExpectMore.gov at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/ .
“Tech,
Telecom, and Internet – General Principles” published by The
Cato Institute at http://www.cato.org/tech/genprinciples.html .
“Privatize
the Postal Service” by Edward Hudgins dated
“Corporate Welfare Update” by Chris
Edwards and Tad DeHaven dated May 2002 published by The
Cato Institute at http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb-0205-7.pdf .
“Government
Schemes Cost More Than Promised” by Chris Edwards dated September
2003 published by The Cato Institute at http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb-0309-17.pdf .
“How to
Get Federal Spending Under Control” by Brian M. Riedl
dated
“Four
Principles of Budget Process Reform” by Brian M. Riedl
and Alison Fraser dated April 8, 2004 published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2004/04/Four-Principles-of-Budget-Process-Reform
.
“Federal
Aid to the States Ripe for Cuts” by Chris Edwards dated May 2004
published by The Cato Institute at http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb-0405-20.pdf .
“Broadband
by 2007: A Look at the President’s Internet Initiative” by
James L. Gattuso, John M Kneuer,
David McIntosh, Harold Furchtgott-Roth, and Peter Pitsch dated May 13, 2004 published by The Heritage
Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Regulation/upload/71075_1.pdf .
“Downsizing
the Federal Government” by Chris Edwards dated
“Time
for the Federal Budget to Include Unfunded Entitlement Obligations”
by Alison Acosta Fraser dated February 3, 2005 published by The Heritage
Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2005/02/Time-for-the-Federal-Budget-Process-to-Include-Unfunded-Entitlement-Obligations
.
“Performance-Based
Decisions in the President’s 2006 Budget” by Keith Miller and
Alison Acosta Fraser dated March 17, 2005 published by The Heritage Foundation
at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2005/03/Performance-Based-Decisions-in-the-Presidents-2006-Budget
.
“Time
to Pull the Plug on Federally Subsidized Electricity” by Ben
Lieberman dated November 7, 2005 published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/search?query=time+to+pull+the+plug+on+federally+subsidized+electricity+lieberman
.
“Privatize
Fannie and Freddie” by Mallory Factor dated November 11, 2005
published by National Review Online at http://old.nationalreview.com/nrof_comment/factor200511110824.asp
.
“The
Terror of TRIA” by Paul J. Gessing dated
December 7, 2005 published by National review Online at http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/216181/terror-tria/paul-j-gessing
.
“Six
Budget Reforms to Restrain Lobbyists and Special Interests” by Brian
M. Riedl dated January 25, 2006 published by The
Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2006/01/Six-Budget-Reforms-to-Restrain-Lobbyists-and-Special-Interests
.
“The Bush Budget’s Hidden Gold: Dynamic
Scoring Comes to the Treasury” by William W. Beach dated February 9, 2006
published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2006/02/The-Bush-Budgets-Hidden-Gold-Dynamic-Scoring-Comes-to-the-Treasury?query=The+Bush+Budget%27s+Hidden+Gold:+Dynamic+Scoring+Comes+to+theTreasury
.
“A
Responsible Budget Resolution in Three Easy Pieces” by Brian M. Riedl dated March 23, 2006 published by The Heritage
Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2006/03/A-Responsible-Budget-Resolution-in-Three-Easy-Pieces
.
“Past
Trends and Future Troubles in Federal Spending: A Look at the Federal Budget
Chart Book” by Rea S. Hederson, Jr., Alison
Acosta Fraser, and Michelle Muccio dated May 30, 2006
published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2006/05/Past-Trends-and-Future-Troubles-in-Federal-Spending-A-Look-at-the-Federal-Budget-Chart-Book
.
“Comprehensive
Budget Reform: The Need Has Never Been Greater” by Paul Ryan dated
June 6, 2006 published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Lecture/Comprehensive-Budget-Reform-The-Need-Has-Never-Been-Greater
.
“House
Appropriators’ PART Prohibition Perpetuates Wasteful Spending”
by Michelle Muccio and Allison Acosta Fraser dated
June 20, 2006 published by The Heritage Foundation on http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/wm1137.cfm .
“Federal
Budget Should Include Long-Term Obligations from Entitlement Programs”
by Allison Acosta Fraser dated
“What
Price Government?” by Ernest S. Christian and Gary A. Robbins dated
“A good
way to beat traffic: Lease major toll roads” dated July 4, 2006
published by USA Today at http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-07-04-our-toll-roads_x.htm .
“Four
Elements of a Successful Government Waste Commission” by Michelle Muccio and Brian M. Riedl dated
“How to
Improve Government Waste Commission Proposals” by Brian M. Riedl and Michelle Muccio dated
“Empowering
Citizens to Monitor Federal Spending” by Chris Edwards dated July
2006 published by The Cato Institute at http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_0718-38.pdf .
“Will
the Senate Raid the Treasury for Amtrak?” by Ronald D. Utt dated
“All
Aboard Fiscal Conservatism” by Joseph Vranich
dated
“Number
of Federal Subsidy Programs is Soaring” by Chris Edwards dated
October 2006 published by The Cato Institute at http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_0611-41.pdf .
“Fiscal
Policy Lessons from
“Should
We Copy
“Dynamic
Analysis at Treasury: What Arne the Next Steps?” by Tracy L. Foertsch dated
“Of debts
and deficits” by Bruce Bartlett dated
“Understanding
Public Attitudes about Federal Budget” by Alison Kadlec
and Will Friedman dated December 2006 published by Public Agenda at http://www.publicagenda.org/research/pdfs/understanding_public_attitudes_about_the_federal_budget.pdf .
“Entitlement
Reform Without a Tax Hike” by Peter Ferrara dated
“The
Republican Study Committee’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights: Making Federal
Budget Accountability a Reality” by Nicola Moore and Alison Acosta
Fraser dated March 14, 2007 published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/wm1394.cfm .
“A
Fiscal Wake-up Call” dated March 2007 published by The Concord
Coalition at http://www.concordcoalition.org/events/fiscal-wake-up/fiscal-wake-up-call.htm .
“Show
Taxpayers the Spending” by Phil Kerpen
dated
“Deficit
Deceptions” dated
“Belabor
the Point” by John Fund dated
“Broadband
Triple Threat” by Cesar Conda dated
“Examining
the Year’s Privatization Trends” by Leonard C. Gilroy dated
“Congressional
Spending: Past Abuse Is No Excuse for Today’s Excess” by Ernest
Istook Jr. dated
“Drain
the Swamp” dated
“Bridges
to Somewhere” dated
“The
New Privatization” by Steven Malanga dated Summer 2007 published by City Journal at http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_3_privatization.html .
“’Starve
the Beast’ Origins and Development of a Budgetary Metaphor” by
Bruce Bartlett dated Summer 2007 published by The
Independent Review at http://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_12_01_01_bartlett.pdf .
“Fixing
Flood Insurance Before the Next Disaster: House Bill Takes Several Steps in the
Wrong Direction” by David C. John dated September 27, 2007 published
by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Regulation/wm1645.cfm .
“South Carolina’s Omnibus Coastal
Insurance Reform Legislation” by Eli Lehrer dated October 2007 published by
Competitive Enterprise Institute at http://www.cei.org/pdf/6201.pdf .
“Our
view on catastrophic coverage: When the government sells insurance, everybody
pays” dated
“What’s
Left for Government to Do?” by Stephen Goldsmith dated
January/February 2008 published by The American Magazine at http://www.american.com/archive/2008/january-february-magazine-contents/what2019s-left-for-government-to-do .
“Balancing
the Bottom Line” by Jeff Sessions and Johnny Isakson dated
“The
Privatization of Public Services” by John Chapman dated
“Entitlements
Digging U.S. Fiscal Grave” dated March 5, 2008 published by The Minyanville Gazette at http://www.minyanville.com/articles/index/a/16155 .
“Taking
Back Our Fiscal Future” by Stuart M. Butler, Allison Acosta Fraser,
and others dated
“Federal
Funds and State Fiscal
“Entitlement
Reform, Not Tax Increases” by Peter Ferrara dated
“Distrust
Fund” by John Berlau dated
“Swimming
in Subsidies” by Eli Lehrer dated June 26, 2008 published by National
Review Online at http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDM3NjQ1MzhmZTY4ODlmNTM0N2RlYjRjOGU3MjRiNWU= .
“CBO’s
Warning on Raising Taxes to Pay for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security”
by Stuart M. Butler dated
“Amtrak:
Not a Model Railroad” by Douglas Stone dated
“Presidents
and the Economy” by Randall Hoven dated
“Why
Government Spending Does Not Stimulate Economic Growth” by Brian M. Riedl dated
“Jumping
Off the Government Bridge” by Peter Van Doren
and Chris Edwards dated December 9, 2008 published by National Review Online at
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NzNlODhhOTM5OTQ0OTNiNzNlZmJjNWFmZmMwZTczNzA=
.
“U.S.
Government’s 2008 Financial report: Demonstrates Significant Problems”
dated December 15, 2008 published by Government Accountability Office at http://www.gao.gov/press/financialreport20081215.pdf .
“Fiscal
Federalism” by Chris Edwards dated February 2009 published by The
CATO Institute at http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/fiscal-federalism
.
“All
Aboard the Gravy Train” by Chris Edwards dated April 15, 2009
published by National Review Online at http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ODZmNTg2ZWUyMTA1ZDU5N2MyYzhkNjFjZWMyZGI5NTc= .
“Insurance
Against Terrorism” by Eli Lehrer dated August 10, 2009 published by
The Weekly Standard at http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/796qucel.asp .
“Privatizing
Fannie, Freddie Could ‘Mitigate’ Risks Caused by Government
Intervention, Says GAO” by Matt Cover dated September 15, 2009
published by Cybercast News Service at http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/54021 .
“Will
Obama’s High-Speed Rail Plan Become a Subsidy for Freight
Railroads?” by Ronald D. Utt dated October
1, 2009 published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/SmartGrowth/wm2637.cfm .
“Taxpayers
Deserve an Annual Report to the Shareholders” by Carl Paulus dated February 5, 2010 published by American Thinker
at http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/02/taxpayers_deserve_an_annual_re.html
.
“The
Dead Shall Be Raised: The Future of Fannie and Freddie” by Peter J. Wallison dated February 12, 2010 published by American
Enterprise Institute at http://www.aei.org/outlook/100938
.
“Recovery
via Spending Cuts, Low Taxes, and Cheaper Government” by Jeffrey L.
Scribner dated February 23, 2010 published by American Thinker at http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/02/recovery_via_spending_cuts_low.html
.
“How to
Cut the Budget” by Christopher Chantrill
dated February 23, 2010 published by American Thinker at http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/02/how_to_cut_the_budget.html
.
“The
Three Biggest Myths About Tax Cuts and the Budget Deficit” by Brian
M. Riedl dated June 21, 2010 published by The
Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/06/The-Three-Biggest-Myths-About-Tax-Cuts-and-the-Budget-Deficit
.
“Department
of Commerce Proposed Spending Cuts” by Chris Edwards and Tad DeHaven dated May 2010 published by Downsizing Government
at http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/commerce/proposed-cuts
.
“Department
of Transportation Proposed Spending Cuts” by Chris Edwards dated June
2010 published by Downsizing Government at http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/transportation/spending-cuts
.
“Restoring
the U.S. to a Free Economy” dated August 17, 2010 published by The
Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/08/Restoring-the-US-to-a-Free-Economy
.
“Fourteen
Ways to Reduce Government Spending” by Grover Norquist
dated August 18, 2010 published by Americans for Tax Reform at http://www.atr.org/files/files/081810pr_14_Specific_Spending_Reduction_Ideas%281%29.pdf
.
“What
Every American Needs to Know about Government-Entitlement Reform” by
Andrew G. Biggs dated September 16, 2010 published by American Enterprise
Institute at http://www.aei.org/outlook/100991
.
“Postal
Bankruptcy” by Doug Bandow dated October 5,
2010 published by The American Spectator at http://spectator.org/archives/2010/10/05/postal-bankruptcy
.
“A Plan
to End Failed Federal Programs” by Darrell Issa
dated October 13, 2010 published by Investor’s Business Daily at http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/550274/201010131830/A-Plan-To-End-Failed-Federal-Programs.htm
.
“Budget
Outlays for 12 of 15 Cabinet Level Federal Departments Have Dramatically
Expanded Since Dems Took Control of Congress”
by Chris Johnson dated October 26, 2010 published by Cybercast News Service at http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/budget-outlays-every-cabinet-department
.
“How to
Cut $343 Billion from the Federal Budget” by Brian M. Riedl dated October 28, 2010 published by The Heritage
Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/10/How-to-Cut-343-Billion-from-the-Federal-Budget
.
“Privatizing
the U.S. Postal Service” by Tad DeHaven
dated November 2010 published by CATO Institute at http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/usps
.
“CBO:
Full Privatization of Fannie, Freddie May be Best Option” by Matt Cover
dated January 11, 2011 published by Cybercast News Service at http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/cbo-full-privatization-fannie-freddie-ma
.
“Uncle
Sam’s Dangerous Deterioration” by Tom Blumer
dated January 26, 2011 published by Pajamas Media at http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/uncle-sams-dangerous-deterioration/
.
“Sen. Paul Proposes Serious Cuts” by
Chris Edwards dated January 31, 2011 published by Cato Institute at http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/sen-rand-paul-proposes-serious-cuts
.
“No
Reservations: The Case for Dismantling the Indian Bureaucracy” by
Carl Horowitz dated February 4, 2011 published by Town Hall at http://townhall.com/columnists/CarlHorowitz/2011/02/04/no_reservations__the_case_for_dismantling_the_indian_bureaucracy
.
“What
We’re Talking About When We Talk About Big Government” by David
Steinberg dated March 7, 2011 published by Pajamas Media at http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/what-we%E2%80%99re-talking-about-when-we-talk-about-big-government/
.
“Taking
the Government Out of Housing Finance: Principles for Reforming the Housing
Finance Market” by Peter J. Wallison,
Edward Pinto, and Alex J. Pollock dated March 24, 2011 published by American
Enterprise Institute at http://www.aei.org/paper/100206
.
“Budget
Cuts look Familiar?” by Chris Edwards dated April 19, 2011 published
by Cato Institute at http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/budget-cuts-look-familiar
.
“EDA
and the Cookie Monsters” dated June 8, 2011 published by National
Review Online at http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/269083/eda-and-cookie-monsters-editors
.
“Considering
a Balanced Budget Amendment: Lessons from History” by Ernest J.
Istook, Jr. dated July 14, 2011 published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/07/Considering-a-Balanced-Budget-Amendment-Lessons-from-History
.
“Truthful
Accounting Should Be the First objective of Any Debt Ceiling Compromise”
by Sheila Weinberg and Ralf Seiffe dated July 28,
2011 published by American Thinker at http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/07/truthful_accounting_should_be_the_first_objective_of_any_debt_ceiling_compromise.html
.
“Time to End the U.S. Debt Accelerator Baseline Budgeting” by Terry Paulson dated May 7, 2012 published by Town Hall at http://townhall.com/columnists/terrypaulson/2012/05/07/time_to_end_the_us_debt_accelerator_baseline_budgeting .
“CBO
Report Echoes Trustees on Medicare, Social Security” by Romina Boccia dated June 14, 2012
published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/06/cbo-long-term-budget-outlook-on-the-nations-fiscal-future
.
“Stop
the Menendez-Boxer Sideshow: End Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Now” by
David C. John dated November 27, 2012 published by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/11/end-fannie-mae-and-freddie-mac-now-menendez-boxer-bill-not-the-solution
.
“A
Housing Market Free of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: The Economic Effects of
Eliminating Government-Sponsored Enterprises in Housing” by John L. Ligon and William W. Beach dated January 8, 2013 published
by The Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/01/a-housing-market-free-of-fannie-mae-freddie-mac
.
“Get
the Feds Out of Infrastructure” by Chris Edwards dated February 5,
2013 published by National Review Online at http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/339767/get-feds-out-infrastructure-chris-edwards
.
