By 2022, those living in poverty will be a minority for the first time, as the global middle class – particularly from BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) nations – surges. Does new affluence signal shifting global power?

Peter Stern – Texas has a budget shortfall and is striving to balance the budget by cutting items not needed, according to the Governor and his merry band of Legislators. In truth, many of the items ARE needed by hard-working Texans and their children.

Peter Stern – We were told the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) plan (the “wet dream” of Gov. Rick Perry and his predecessor George W. Bush) went the way of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Wooly Mammoth. However, here we go again and legislators are looking not only at the TTC again, but also are proposing significant toll roads throughout Texas.

As you know, the state of the educator pension system in most states is in troubled shape. Dr. Michael Podgursky, an education fellow at the George W. Bush Institute, recently proposed that in order to implement a system that is both efficient and sustainable, there are two critical principles that must be followed:

Peter Stern – Many still do not recognize the new Civil War taking place in the U.S. Instead of North vs. South, the battles focus on the Wealthy and the Poorer population.

The Good News: Things Aren’t Getting Worse. Researchers at the Center for Professional Excellence (CPE) at York College of Pennsylvania continue to find that students aren’t making the grade as professionals in the workplace, according to the annual nationwide survey on the state of professionalism among young workers.

Bill Costello – In 1980, Brazil imported 77 percent of its oil. Now it imports 0.0 percent. During that same time period, America increased its oil imports from roughly 30 percent to 70 percent. If Brazil can become completely self-sufficient in oil, why can’t America start becoming more self-sufficient?

Jim Windham – I don’t have any particular insights on our mission in Libya. Granted, this is a difficult call. We are in uncharted territory here. But I have at least come to some preliminary conclusions in my thinking:

Donna Garner – This should be enough to turn off any Texan from supporting the expansion of gambling in Texas.

Peter Stern – As a Hays County resident and homeowner for more than 13 years, I support most issues underscored by the 96-member Citizen’s Group. I also support the Commissioners, although I disagree with some of their actions, particularly with ongoing and increased expenditures.

JAMES FREEMAN – Hedge-fund manager Paul Singer recognized the risks of subprime mortgages and bet against them. Now he warns that monetary policy could cripple American banks again.

STEPHEN GOLDSMITH – The rule-based civil service was a step forward from Tammany Hall. But today’s regulations stifle government workers at a time when getting value for tax dollars is more important than ever..

NYU professor Lawrence Mead, an author in a recent issue of Academic Questions, did a feature for the BBC on welfare reform in the UK.

The new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website proclaims that no financial company “should be able to build, or feel pressure to build, a business model around unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices.” How ironic, then, that the bureau itself is trying to extend its reach by extorting billions of dollars from private mortgage servicers, regulating their business by fiat, and stalling a U.S. housing market recovery.

Henry W. Burke – The deficit is the fiscal year difference between what the United States Government (Government) takes in from taxes and other revenues, called receipts, and the amount of money the Government spends, called outlays. The items included in the deficit are considered either on-budget or off-budget.

Suze Orman says reverse mortgages can look enticing, but they can sink you financially, if you’re not careful.
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The chairmen of Obama’s debt commission had a receptive audience in the Senate Budget Committee, as fears of a US debt crisis have brought a new tone of urgency to Washington.

Steve Everley – The president’s policy won’t create more energy — or more jobs.

Fareed Zakaria – What Washington should learn from the Mideast protests. It is now well understood that one of the crucial drivers of the crises in the Middle East is [...]