Brian Riedl

Brian Riedl
annual bold budget budgets deficit fiscal good growing growth immediate issue overwhelm pledge president programs proposal propose quickly rate reforms slow threaten trends
President Bush's pledge to halve the budget deficit by 2009 distracts policymakers from the real issue of unsustainable trends in long-term entitlement spending. The president's proposal to slow Medicare's 9% annual growth rate is a good fiscal step, but the budget does not propose enough immediate and bold reforms to the quickly growing entitlement programs that threaten to overwhelm the budget.
current decisions difficult increases points political spending tax trend
The current trend points to tax increases in the long run. The political will to make the difficult decisions on spending is lacking.
budget control credible fabulous job leading mike proposal realistic republican specific spending study talking virtually
Mike Pence has done a fabulous job leading the Republican Study Committee. They have put out a realistic and credible and specific budget proposal to get spending under control when virtually no one else is talking about it.
budgets federal program threatens
More than anything else, this one program threatens the long-term federal budget.
ability cripple cut explore given hunger nasa national nor represents
NASA represents something important in the national psyche. Given that, there isn't a lot of hunger to cut NASA substantially, nor to cripple their ability to explore space.
highway montana
Montana is getting more highway pork, but so is every other state.
bills congress
The more controversial bills will most assuredly end up in a lame-duck Congress.
campaign congress create entirely government grants helps illusion incentive pork reform rein retaining sell system
Congress has no incentive to rein in pork, because pork helps lawmakers get campaign contributions and get re-elected. It is entirely predictable that Congress would create the illusion of reform while retaining the system that allows them to sell government grants for campaign contributions.
absence assume fix reform state tax union
In the absence of even mentioning tax reform in his State of the Union address, it may be presumptuous to assume a revenue-neutral AMT fix after 2007.
pork projects sacrifice serve time
It's about time lawmakers sacrifice pork projects that essentially serve as taxpayer-financed re-election advertisements.
admit courage flip opposed possible side
There is not much courage out there. Like an alcoholic, the first thing you have to do is admit you have a problem. The flip side of it is, Americans are vehemently opposed to every possible solution.
bill symbol threatens
This ... bill threatens to become another symbol of irresponsible runaway spending.
sacrifice
Sacrifice? ... At this time, there is none.
bad five last next worse
As bad as the last five years have been, it's going to get even worse the next five years.