The hottest Budget Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

Quiz: Do you favor giving some help to poor kids but even more to the rich?

Robert Reich • 12402 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Poverty Inequality Budget Senate
  1. A new tax bill aims to reduce child poverty by giving benefits to poor kids and the rich.
  2. The bill would help around 16 million children and boost the incomes of the top 1% quite a lot.
  3. While commendable for pulling children out of poverty, the bill also includes tax breaks that heavily benefit the wealthiest Americans.

Congressional Republicans to Defund the Antitrust Division?

BIG by Matt Stoller • 22689 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress Budget Justice Department Legislation
  1. Antitrust Division's budget may be at risk of defunding by Congressional Republicans, impacting its ability to pursue cases against big corporations like Apple and Ticketmaster.
  2. Challenges in Antitrust Division's budget in recent years resulted in limitations on taking action against big tech monopolies like Google and Apple due to lack of resources.
  3. The bipartisan antitrust reform legislation of 2022 aimed to boost Antitrust Division resources for more effective enforcement, but current budget debates, including potential cuts, pose a threat to this progress.
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Waiting at the Center of the Terrible 20s

CDR Salamander • 884 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Government Budget National Security
  1. The 2020s are shaping up to be challenging due to economic, political, and budgetary issues.
  2. There's a significant national debt expected in 2025, with tax cuts expiring and other financial challenges.
  3. The US needs to prepare for the implications of the People's Republic of China's rise amidst these economic and political challenges.

SITREP - 12/26/23

THREE SEVEN MAFIA • 919 implied HN points • 26 Dec 23
💰 Finance Payments Budget Loans
  1. Stripe Capital is causing issues by not processing payments, leading to a need to migrate elsewhere.
  2. The author experienced financial troubles, including fraudulent charges and a drained checking account.
  3. Despite challenges, the author plans to continue creating content and maintaining a positive outlook.

Chartbook 266 Israel's downgrade

Chartbook • 844 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Israel Finance Budget War
  1. Moody's downgraded Israel's ratings due to ongoing conflict with Hamas, weakening its institutions and fiscal strength - a first in Israeli history.
  2. Despite the financial toll of the war with Gaza, Israel's debt-to-GDP ratio remains stable, thanks to local currency borrowing and market confidence.
  3. The aid promised by the US to Israel amidst the conflict serves more as a political statement than a financial necessity, relieving pressure on Israel's domestic priorities.

City Hall revs up for annual budget deputation derby

City Hall Watcher • 216 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Budget Government Policy Legislation
  1. City Hall is engaged in a week of budget battles with tensions rising over federal funding for refugees in the shelter system.
  2. Over 100 budget deputations took place with concerns raised about staff salaries and potential cost savings.
  3. Community groups have expressed various concerns to the Budget Committee, including issues with policing and homelessness.

Why TSA-style security doesn't work for schools

School Shooting Data Analysis and Reports • 39 implied HN points • 30 Apr 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Security Schools Gun Control Safety Budget
  1. Having teachers perform security screenings at schools can be ineffective due to lack of training and time constraints.
  2. Failure in school security protocols can lead to dangerous situations such as students sneaking weapons past metal detectors.
  3. Implementing TSA-style security at schools is impractical due to the scale of students, cost, and physical infrastructure required.

Next week: debating a $17 billion budget. This week: debating printing costs

City Hall Watcher • 78 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Budget Health Housing Infrastructure
  1. Toronto City Hall is facing a significant budget battle next week over a $17 billion budget.
  2. Council spent time debating printing costs, travel expenses, bus lanes, and shelters in their recent meetings.
  3. The Toronto Community Housing Board is tackling the issue of overhoused households, aiming to reallocate space for those on the waitlist.

Hiding from reality

Comment is Freed • 118 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Election Government Budget Campaigning Policy
  1. The post criticizes politicians for hiding the truth about budget projections and making unrealistic spending promises.
  2. It highlights the disconnect between political parties' actions and the concerns of voters, emphasizing the importance of holding politicians accountable.
  3. Rather than focusing on superficial details, the post encourages in-depth analysis of proposed spending to ensure transparency and truthfulness in political discussions.

The Day After

Gideon's Substack • 11 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Bipartisanship Foreign Policy Budget Public Opinion
  1. Bipartisan teamwork is really needed to tackle America's issues, especially the budget and foreign policy. If both parties don't work together, big problems may get ignored.
  2. The new president, no matter who it is, will face challenges in getting people to accept their decisions. There might be a lot of blame and accusations about fairness, which could make governing tough.
  3. Some topics, like immigration and abortion, could see shifts in policy depending on the winner. However, the hardest problems will need both parties to collaborate for real solutions.

Is the All-Volunteer US Military in Crisis?

The Radar • 59 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military National Security Recruitment Budget Defense Strategy
  1. The US All-Volunteer Military Force might not be in crisis despite concerns raised in the media
  2. There is a need for a critical evaluation of military recruitment goals and priorities to ensure the best use of resources
  3. The low percentage of young Americans interested in pursuing a military career can be viewed positively as a sign of valuing peace over conflict

Written in Blood

The Radar • 19 implied HN points • 02 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Budget Health
  1. Air Force missileers are falling ill due to toxic exposure in underground bunkers, highlighting lack of preventive measures by the chain of command.
  2. Official military review underway to establish link between toxic exposure in missile bunkers and illnesses like cancer.
  3. US military's budget constraints often lead to downplaying of facility issues and public health hazards, showing a disconnect between popular moral support for wars and lack of material support for those who wage them.

March 1, 2024

Letters from an American • 10 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Budget Taxation Social Security Corporate Government
  1. President Joe Biden signed a resolution giving lawmakers more time to finalize government funding bills, as Republicans have been stalling by inserting cultural demands and seeking budget cuts.
  2. There are discussions about creating a 'debt commission' to address the budget deficit, even though it faces opposition from 70% of voters.
  3. The ITEP report revealed that many profitable corporations paid very low effective tax rates due to loopholes, raising questions about the fairness of the tax system.

California is on the brink of a transportation nightmare

Urben Field Notes • 27 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Transportation Budget Legislation
  1. California is facing a transportation crisis that could lead to serious service cuts and canceled bus lines.
  2. New York recently passed a multi-billion dollar transit rescue package, highlighting the stark difference in funding support for transit between California and New York.
  3. The future of transit in California will have broad implications for the state's policy commitments and urban identity.

What's Going on with China's Stagnation?

Arpitrage • 3 HN points • 21 Aug 23
🌍 World Politics China Economy Authoritarianism Real Estate Budget
  1. There is a debate between two main schools of thought regarding China's growth hurdles: authoritarian expropriation risk and structural Keynesian views.
  2. The real estate boom-bust hypothesis suggests China's dependence on real estate and infrastructure may lead to weak growth ahead.
  3. The soft budget constraint thesis, rooted in authoritarianism and political economy problems, could also be contributing to China's growth issues.

Gunfire on the Gridiron: 2023 high school football season

School Shooting Data Analysis and Reports • 0 implied HN points • 09 Dec 23
🎾 Sports Violence Security Budget Media Coverage Community Impact
  1. Gun violence at high school football games is a significant issue, with 40 shootings occurring this season resulting in deaths and injuries.
  2. Regional differences show half of the shootings took place in the South, possibly due to the popularity of football in these areas.
  3. Shootings at school sporting events are not isolated incidents but rather reflect a concerning trend that requires national attention and improved security measures.

Popular Nonsense: Armed Vets in Schools

School Shooting Data Analysis and Reports • 0 implied HN points • 16 Feb 18
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Security Policy Violence Budget Veterans
  1. Suggesting armed veterans as a solution to prevent school violence may seem simple, but it's actually a complex and expensive proposal.
  2. Putting armed veterans in schools would cost billions of dollars annually, larger than many government program budgets, and may not make schools much safer due to their size and layout.
  3. Although many veterans are honorable, statistically, some have been involved in mass shootings, highlighting the potential risks of having armed veterans in schools.