The bottom line is this: Unless you radically change Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, all of which would require legislative action and the signature of a president, there are only two real choices to reduce spending.…
So let’s test this claim with a close look at the last 50 years. We go all the way back to 1974, and the Presidential Administration of Gerald Ford. During the 50 years from then until now, Republicans occupied the Oval Office for 27 years, and Democrats for 23. The Republicans, and the total years of their presidencies were: Ford (3), Reagan (8), Bush I (4), Bush II (8), and Trump (4). The Democrats were Carter (4), Clinton (8), Obama…
We take up federal government spending in this column, but we’ll stay away from what it buys. Our myth busting will instead clarify the relationship between federal spending and budget deficits, and show where the deficits came from.…
EDITORIAL Uncle Sam, Font of Plenty, Thanks To Printing Presses Ain’t Uncle Sam great! At least his ability to print money. After the year-long COVID pandemic, which cost Otsego County government $10.6 million, the federal government is sending it $11 million. That’s $400,000 in profit, from the greatest pandemic in 100 years. The beauty of it is county government, under the guidance of brainy Allen Ruffles, the county treasurer, had already taken steps to stem the bleeding. The Ruffles Plan,…