By Ron Paul, includes “… One way the Fed increases the money supply — and thus lowers interest rates — is by purchasing US Treasury securities.”

By Robert Montoya, includes “School district debts in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio are alarmingly high at more than $7 billion. When you add these to the cities’ debts and other underlying governments, the combined debt each taxpayer must pay is $69,600. Change will only come when ‘citizen advocates’ get involved.”
 

Includes “The US government collects over $5.3 trillion in taxes each year, but how much will the average American pay in taxes throughout their lifetime? … It’s a lot. We’ve analyzed this data specific to each state so you can see what you may be giving to your local government in taxes across your entire life..” 

Editorial, includes “A recent report on the financially sick status of municipal pensions in Illinois made a big splash, but not as big as it should have. As she surveys the financial wreckage that envelops state and local government in Illinois, Sheila Weinberg embraces grim reality. ”

Interview of Sheila Weinberg by Greg Bishop re: our latest City Combined Taxpayer Burden report, including the findings re: Chicago.

Video segment, text intro includes “Thanks to a little-known pension perk, some former Illinois lawmakers are earning more in retirement than they did while in office. … ‘I do not, unfortunately, even though I live in Illinois, have hope for Illinois,’ Weinberg says.”

By Robert Montoya, includes “Q. Truth in Accounting found Fort Worth to be a sinkhole city, meaning it would need $9,400 more per taxpayer to pay all of its debts. They found most of the problems stem from growing unfunded retirement obligations. ”

By Benjamin Fearnow, includes “… The government finance watchdog group Truth in Accounting gave the city of Chicago's government an ‘F’ for its financial health rating in a February report card.”

One-hour podcast interview, text intro includes “Bill Bergman, director of research for Truth in Accounting, joins us to discuss recent proposals by the Government Accounting Standards Board and their effect on accrual accounting. He explores the status of GASB Projects 3-20 and 3-25, whether the new proposals change the definition of accrual accounting, and how they relate to revenue recognition.”

By David Wagner, includes “… The report states the Treasury only considers $175.3 billion of Social Security and Medicare liabilities as debt because, ‘recipients do not have the right to benefits beyond the benefits currently being paid and laws to reduce or stop future benefits can be passed at any time."

By Adam Andrzejewski, includes “… Recently, the city council faced a $65 million budget hole last year, but still voted to increase spending by $119 million. They were likely counting on a bailout from the American taxpayer.”

Op-ed by Steven Malanga, includes “… City leaders have used deficit financing to balance Nashville’s books and spent much of the city’s reserve funds. The Tennessee comptroller has threatened a state takeover, and even the Biden administration’s lavish stimulus isn’t enough to plug Nashville’s budget hole. Amid all this, angry local groups are trying to spur a special election to roll back a gigantic property tax increase.”

By “Sputnik,” cites our recent Financial State of the Union report, and includes “… The estimate cited above is likely overblown in that payments to retirees are offset, to a substantial degree, by contributions made by employers and by employees,’ suggests Wall Street analyst and investigative journalist Charles Ortel.  (Note: Hmm)