With federal spending and deficits soaring – and the elections looming –promises of “fiscal austerity” have become a de rigueur talking point in every candidate’s stump speech.

In The New York Times today, Paul Krugman asserts that government spending has not, in fact, increased. Really?

Think budget decisions of cities and towns hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away don’t affect you? Think again.

In July we wrote about how uncertainty regarding policy coming out of Washington was hindering economic recovery. Regrettably, things are no better three months later.

Today, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Demos, the Century Foundation, and the Economic Policy Institute hold a conference on “Fiscal Choices: Strengthening Our Economy and Building for the Future.”

Yesterday marked the two-year anniversary, and the expiration, of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). TARP was a $700 billion fund for bailouts conducted by the U.S. Treasury department. Today’s New York Times features a piece that calls into question whether or not this is the end of the bailout era.

A look at the most important budget-related news and information from around the country.

The New York Times reported yesterday on the progress of a plan in Arizona to replace road signs indicating distance in kilometers to new signs with distance in mileage. It should be asked: is this the best use of taxpayer money?

For those who believe higher government spending is the best way to “stimulate” the economy in times of recession, the reasoning goes like this: spending money to put people to work (no matter what the job) will lead to those people to buy more stuff, which in turn will create a larger “demand” for goods, and thereby increase business. This view is based on the theory of John Maynard Keynes, and is held by proponents of Keynesian Economics.

A look at the most important budget-related news and information from around the country.