The Italian government slashes its forecast for the economy in 2012 and admits it will not be able to balance the budget in 2013.

Go here to see the original:
Italy slashes 2012 growth outlook

David Cameron defends tax changes in last month’s Budget after Labour leader Ed Miliband said they were a “shambles” and showed the government’s incompetence.

More here:
Leaders in Commons Budget clash

The Church of England fears church renovation projects could be scrapped because of planned changes to VAT set out in the Budget.

Read the original here:
Church fears impact of VAT rise

The severe fiscal problems that crippled state budgets and sparked brutal political battles in the wake of the recession are easing, as state tax revenue rose substantially last year, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Read full article > >

Read the original:
States’ tax revenue rose 8.9 percent in last fiscal year

The severe fiscal problems that crippled state budgets and sparked brutal political battles in the wake of the recession are easing, as state tax revenue rose substantially last year, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Read full article > >

See the original post:
States’ tax revenue rose 8.9 percent in last fiscal year

Representative Paul D. Ryan’s much-vilified budget proposal is clearly an opening gambit, leaving plenty of room for further hearings and negotiations.

More:
Common Sense: Lots of Accolades, but Little Action, on Budget Plan – Common Sense

Government workers’ pensions may sound like an obscure topic, but it’s front and center in some of the most rancorous of today’s political discussion s. Retirement benefits for public workers are at the heart of the conflict between state and local governments and the unions representing their workers — and how that conflict gets resolved will affect investors in the municipal bonds issued by those states and cities. Let’s take a look at the looming public pension crisis, its effect on municipal finance and how accounting reform might help. Read full article > >

Read more here:
Public-pension pitfalls: What municipal budget troubles mean for bond investors

The General Services Administration probably got the memo, just much too late. The subject of the Sept. 21 directive from Jack Lew, then-director of the Office of Management and Budget: “Eliminating Excess Conference Spending and Promoting Efficiency in Government.” Read full article > >

See the original post:
GSA got the memo, but it was too late

Passage of a $132.6 billion spending plan marked the first time since 1983 that the Legislature has approved a budget with more than a day to spare.

The rest is here:
New York State Legislature Passes 2012-13 Budget

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a $3.5 trillion budget plan proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on a 228 to 191 vote, largely along party lines. It was a dramatic departure from the night before, when lawmakers took up a plan based on the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction proposal. Read full article > >

See original here:
House approves $3.5 trillion budget plan proposed by Paul Ryan

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a $3.5 trillion budget plan proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on a 228 to 191 vote, largely along party lines. The plan aims to curb exploding deficits through deep cuts in domestic programs, while lowering tax rates for individuals and businesses. Read full article > >

Excerpt from:
House approves Ryan budget plan to cut spending, taxes

Congressional Republicans recognize that the $3.5 trillion budget proposal the GOP-led House is expected to adopt this week remains fraught with political peril, but they also believe they now know how to blunt Democratic attacks on its Medicare overhaul components and should be able to avoid the political pummeling they suffered as a result last year. Read full article > >

See original here:
In budget battle, GOP regroups on Medicare message

The SNP says it will propose a Budget amendment at Westminster which will freeze future rises in fuel duty.

Visit link:
SNP to table fuel duty amendment

Let’s play a game: I’ll describe a health-care bill to you. Then you tell me if I’m describing President Obama’s Affordable Care Act or the budget released this week by Rep. Paul Ryan. The bill works like this: The federal government subsidizes Americans to participate in health-insurance markets known as “exchanges.” In the exchanges, insurers can’t discriminate based on pre-existing conditions. Individuals can choose to go without insurance, but if they do so, they pay a penalty. To keep premiums down, the government ties the size of the subsidy to the second-least-expensive plan in the market — a process known as “competitive bidding,” which encourages consumers to choose cheaper plans. Read full article > >

Original post:
Ryan’s budget and the path to single-payer health care

Labour accuses the government of using an announcement about alcohol pricing as “cover” to distract from criticism of the Budget.

More here:
Drink strategy ‘cover for Budget’