Sunday, December 22

Tag: spending

Why a CT legislative committee declined vote on state budget
7Apr By adminNo Comments
Money

Why a CT legislative committee declined vote on state budget

In a rare move, a key legislative committee has refused to vote as lawmakers are leaving the state budget largely intact as they head toward final negotiations with Gov. Ned Lamont in the coming month. The legislature traditionally makes a series of changes — large and small — in the package that the governor unveils in early February. But this year, lawmakers will instead focus on a more narrow list of top Democratic policy priorities that include public higher education, non-profit organizations that provide state services, and mental health care for children by boosting Medicaid rates for doctors and other providers. The fiscal baseline will be the recommendations that the legislature had already approved for the second year of the two-year budget. State Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, ...
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Worldwide, 2024 Elections Promise a Whirlwind
28Dec By adminNo Comments
Health

Worldwide, 2024 Elections Promise a Whirlwind

Dec. 28, 2023 12:49 pm ETIt’s (almost) election year, baby! Every year is important in its way, and most elections matter to someone. Even so, 2024 promises to be unusually electorally exciting due to the sheer amount of voting across the democratic world—and over what issues.What seems likely to be an awful U.S. presidential election in November is only part of the story. Hyperventilation about Donald Trump’s supposedly authoritarian instincts and well-founded concerns over Biden family corruption will motivate the major parties’ bases. But don’t lose sight of the global significance of this contest, given the security and economic threats and challenges confronting the winner. Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8 ...
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DeSantis Is Right About Medicaid
18Dec By adminNo Comments
Health

DeSantis Is Right About Medicaid

North Carolina has become the 40th state to succumb to federal cash and adopt ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion for able-bodied working-age adults. A new study from the Paragon Health Institute shows there is little to celebrate. Overall health is unlikely to improve despite this massive increase in public welfare. We now have 10 years of data on ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion. The evidence against the policy is overwhelming: Expansion leads to a surge in spending but reduces healthcare access for traditional Medicaid enrollees such as low-income children and people with disabilities. And it doesn’t improve health.Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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How much money are you planning to spend on gifts this holiday season?
11Dec By adminNo Comments
Money

How much money are you planning to spend on gifts this holiday season?

Although many are unhappy with the current state of our economy, it is predicted that many Americans will ramp up their holiday spending this season.“My wife and I have been doing our Christmas shopping, and it's definitely more than we had budgeted compared to last year,” said Greg Hinojos, who was visiting from Arizona.Despite worries about inflation, Americans will spend an average of $975 this holiday season, according to a poll done by Gallup in November.“Hopefully we can spend less than that but the way prices are I doubt it, it'll probably be more,” said Garcia.Felipe Garcia and his family will be doing a Secret Santa gift exchange to save money.“There's only so much you can do especially with five daughters, that's what we have,” said Garcia.One Oceano resident said he is barely g...
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The California Budget Bust Arrives
9Dec By adminNo Comments
Business

The California Budget Bust Arrives

Much like California’s climate cycle of storms and drought, the state’s progressive tax code yields revenue booms and busts. Now the bust is coming. After a $100 billion budget surplus two years ago, the Golden State is now staring at a $68 billion shortfall because the gusher of tax revenue from soaking the rich has dried up.The state Legislative Analyst’s Office projected on Thursday a $68 billion budget gap through the next fiscal year and $155 billion in cumulative deficits over the next four years. For comparison, Florida’s entire general fund budget was $46.1 billion this year.Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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Cities Use Covid Funds to Run Guaranteed-Income Experiments
3Dec By adminNo Comments
Business

Cities Use Covid Funds to Run Guaranteed-Income Experiments

Alexandria, Va.Dozens of cities around the country have launched welfare experiments called guaranteed-income pilots to send monthly checks of up to $1,000 to needy people. The goal is to demonstrate that giving the poor direct cash aid can improve their economic stability, their children’s educational attainment, and even their mental health. Most of the pilots are “no strings attached,” meaning that the cash aid doesn’t come with any restrictions on how it can be spent or any work requirement. Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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Don’t Count on Economic Woes to Deter China
28Nov By adminNo Comments
Health

Don’t Count on Economic Woes to Deter China

Nov. 28, 2023 12:54 pm ETDuring his September trip to Vietnam, President Biden dismissed a reporter who asked for his thoughts on the threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to Taiwan. “I think China has a difficult economic problem right now,” Mr. Biden said. “I don’t think it’s going to cause China to invade Taiwan. And matter of fact, the opposite—it probably doesn’t have the same capacity that it had before.”Mr. Biden’s response perhaps explains why his administration’s China policy has veered away from competition and toward accommodation. The hope is that Beijing’s economic woes will make it more conciliatory. But that assumption badly misunderstands the power-hungry nature of the Chinese Communist Party and the lessons of history.Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All R...
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Conservative Donors Failed to Show Up in the 2023 Elections
19Nov By adminNo Comments
Business

Conservative Donors Failed to Show Up in the 2023 Elections

Once critics of the supposedly malign influence of money in politics, the progressive left proved to be big spenders in November’s elections. In four key state races—for Kentucky’s governor, Virginia’s General Assembly, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court and Ohio’s abortion referendum—left-wing advocacy groups dropped at least $135 million on campaign ads, outspending conservative groups by $42 million.A few years ago, left-leaning organizations and media outlets warned that conservatives had come to “dominate” state politics and policy. They pointed to Republican victories in state elections and significant policy achievements like the Wisconsin collective-bargaining reform known as Act 10. Those of us working in the trenches on these issues knew better. Government unions and progressive speci...
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