MUST READING FOR 2008! A very good introduction and overview

books:


	• Where Does the Money Go?: Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis Scott Bittle, Jean Johnson Collins Business, 2008 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 15 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

What Is the Money Going For?

Where Does the Money Go? Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis by Scott Brittle and Jean Johnson reminds readers how much of our tax dollars are returned to us in the form of Social Security and Medicare. And, every year there is more health care to buy. Brittle and Johnson also offer suggestions and recommendations for the future but the main objective is to convince citizens that the crisis has been slow in coming and will take a lot of unavoidable sacrafices. The primary focus is on America's health care expenditures while the money spent on military defense is not an option that is as thoroughly examined.

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A sobering account of America's finances

Even as a CPA, I had never really thought about what the country's national debt (over $9 trillion and climbing) meant to me and future generations.

You don't have to be a CPA to get something out of this book; it is written in a manner that provides nice summaries of complicated issues. Even better, it provides references so you can learn more. The book is balanced and does not appear to have a political slant.

As increasing Federal deficits affect every American, I can't recommend this book enough, especially in an election year.

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Federal Budget Problems

This is an excellent book which describes in understandable terms the problems with the federal budget deficits and growing national debt

MUST READING FOR 2008! A very good introduction and overview

This book makes these very complex topics easy reading. As other reviewers here mention, the book spends a disproportionate amount of time on SS and Medicare, and almost no time on Defense. (My guess is because this a bi-partisan effort, and people on opposite sides of the fence tend to disagree strongly in the area of defense.) Regardless, this is a wonderful book and helped me to better understand how a lot of this stuff works. I especially enjoyed the chapter on "pork" spending -- and how it amounts to perhaps 4% of the federal budget. READ THIS BOOK before the presidential debates begin! Educate yourself so you can decide which candidates actually know what they're talking about, and which ones are blowing smoke. Our country is facing serious fiscal problems and they are not going to just magically go away.

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the awful truth

The awful truth is that we have been fooling ourselves and we have let ourselves be fooled, both voters and politicians themselves. Fooled ourselves into thinking that the finances of the United States are just fine.

This book tells us what a financial disaster awaits us the next few decades. The worst thing is, apparently it is not even a major theme in the current presidential election, because we have picked presidential candidates that are not strong in economics. Another four years from now, we will pick someone who is strong on economics, and then start doing something about it.

The book is mainly making us aware of roughly what are the issues. That is accomplished in the very beginning, and after that the authors keep repeating the same points in different words, which I thought was somewhat boring. Yet, it is nicely written, it's got nice anecdotes here and there, and in the end there is more information on what our options are. It would have been nice if they went a little bit deeper into the matter, to explain even more about how things work, etc. But the authors kept it simple and easy to understand, and maybe, as voters, we only need to know a simple thing that the government needs to do, and we already knew this for ourselves: When in debt, you need to get more money and spend less!

The most difficult thing will be to actually vote for a candidate who dares to talk about tough financial issues, as opposed to most candidates who seem to be all charisma and vague promises, and when elected, let the next president clean up the mess.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

From the editors of the award-winning nonpartisan Web site Public Agenda Online comes this irreverent and candid guide to the federal budget crisis that breaks down into plain English exactly what the fat cats in Washington are arguing about

Federal debt will affect your savings, your retirement, your mortgage, your health care, and your children. How well do you understand the government decisions that will end up coming out of your pocket?

Here is essential information that every American citizen needs?and has the right?to know. This guide to deciphering the jargon of the country's budget problem covers everything from the country's $9 trillion and growing debt to the fact that, for thirty-one out of the last thirty-five years, the country has spent more on government programs and services than it has collected in taxes. It also explores why elected leaders on every side of the fence have so far failed to effectively address this issue and explains what you can do to protect your future.

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