Let’s pretend it’s early 2009 and you happen to be your typical modern-day politician… And let’s say you inherit an economic nightmare: A mammoth 44% of revenue deficit, a sick economy, and a looming credit rating downgrade threat from Moody’s… Now, being typical, if you happen to run a nation, you’d attempt to print your [...]

“As we go into an election year, I think really fixing problems gets politically harder,” said Nicholas Johnson, who tracks the conditions of states as vice president for state fiscal policy at the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. From Some States Are Facing Revenue Shortfall—Again… Published: Wednesday, 23 Nov 2011 by Reuters:  Alas, [...]

So the fella whose mismanaged his affairs, and consequently sports a 600 credit score, can finance a brand new car – but only at an interest rate of 12%… The problem is, he may not be able to afford it? While the guy whose managed his affairs well, and consequently sports an 800 score, can [...]

There’s this growing frustration with Germany for not stepping up and fixing the Euro problem… ‘The one country that’s gained big time from the Euro experiment shouldn’t be so reluctant to step in and help its prodigal brethren’, many think… But unlike the Good Book’s Prodigal Son, the Euro’s wayward children don’t get an open-arms [...]

With a hint of concern, perhaps disappointment even, the cable network staff economist reports that government spending has declined four straight quarters… He laments; “now four straight quarters of decline in government spending in the GDP accounts, that hasn’t happened since the wind down of government spending in the wake of the Vietnam War in [...]