1. BIG-PICTURE: Total Government Expansion - When government officials say, 'the era of big government is over' - - citizens should ask, 'compared to what?' Three powerful & revealing graphics seldom seen, as government expansion squeezes down share of the economy remaining to the private sector. A MUST READ.
2. EYE-OPENER: Trends of Government Spending & Debt - 40% of the economy controlled by federal, state & local government spending, compared to 12% before - - $10,951 per man, woman & child - - America has moved away from the principle of Thomas Jefferson: "The government that governs least governs best." A MUST READ.
3. Federal Government Expansion Trends - Federal spending now 24% of the economy, compared to 3% before. $6,667 per person - spending trends by category - proof the culprit of debt and spending has been social spending, which increased 14 times faster than the economy, as trust in government and voter turn-out rates plummeted. A MUST READ.
4. State & Local Government Expansion Trends - explosive growth nation-wide - now 15% of the economic pie, compared to 6% post WW II - $4,284 per person. Most people know each working person today supports more seniors than prior generations, but few know each must also support more state & local government employees than ever before. A MUST READ. (also see companion report on one state- - as a template for evaluating your own state).
5. Regulatory Compliance Cost Impact Report - $3,552 per person - $977 Billion - 13% of the economy - and there is zero budgetary control. (Nobel Laureate Dr. Milton Friedman continually stressed the importance of studying this critical area - in various letters to the author. How right he was!)
6. Budget Deficits and Trust Fund Siphoning Report - How can politicians claim a federal government surplus when debt goes up? To date, all $2.2 trillion of surpluses of various trust funds have been siphoned-off (of which 69% was siphoned from the social security, federal employee pension and medical trusts) - - all spent on non-pension things and not counted in deficit calculations - an illegal act if done by private sector pension funds. (Some political leaders bragged to the general public "we ran more than $100 billion budget surplus in calendar year 1998 and 1999." They also said they want to 'save social security'. Listening to such rhetoric citizens might be misled-led to believe the federal government cut general spending to produce general government surpluses so as to save social security and reduce total debt. Fact: they ran an operational deficit (not a surplus) AND, 2000 ended with another increase in debt, to a record high - - despite claims of another surplus. A MUST READ - including the article with FY2000 & 1999 data and the fraud of those claiming to pay down debt..
NOTE: The accuracy of above finally confirmed on 10 July 2001, when Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill told AP that trust funds hold NO real assets.
7. Taxes - (see tax category below)
8. Social Security - (see below)
9. National Security - (see below)
10. The Reagan Era Report - first time government expansion stopped in 4 decades, because of tax cuts - and first time trust in government surged in 2 decades.
11. Statistical Revisionism & Wizardry - a danger to a nation? Since the mid 1990s many statistical measurements of our economy (inflation, GDP, productivity) and education quality have been revised regarding criteria - each 'pumping-up' data as if the nation is on economic 'steroids.' Now, there is almost no clean comparison with the past, to accurately know where we are and where headed.
12 126-year Spending trend Compared to other nations - the U.S. has followed the big-government upward march of others.
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