News
WSJ | Stopgap Fix Ends Budget Impasse
Senate Approves Short-Term Funding Measure After Sticking Point Is Resolved.
NY Times | More Gloom Lies Ahead for Cities, Report Says
Nearly a third of the nation’s cities are laying off workers this year. More than half have canceled or delayed infrastructure projects. And two out of five have raised their fees.
Econ Comments
AEI | The Chained CPI: A Path to Bipartisan Deficit Reduction
Because the chained CPI is expected to rise about 0.25 percent per year more slowly than the price indexes that are currently used, that switch would increase revenue and lower government benefit payments, thereby reducing the deficit and alleviating the long-term fiscal imbalance.
Reports
Mercatus Center | From Defined Benefit to Defined Contribution
The common rationale for reform is that defined benefit plans are proving costly to taxpayers, and the costs cannot be carried forward during stagnant economic times. In addition to their high total costs—as evidenced by total contribution rates that exceed 20 percent per dollar in most public programs—defined benefit programs are less predictable when it comes to future funding costs and outlays.
