Do We Need Big Government?

Government payouts now account for more than a third of all wages and salaries in the United States. Worse, if one includes government employees’ salaries, more than half of Americans receive a substantial portion of their income from the government. The government provides welfare to the poor, of course — 126 separate anti-poverty programs. But it also provides corporate welfare to the rich. The Cato Institute estimates that the federal government provides at least $92 billion in direct grants and subsidies to businesses each year. It even provides regular welfare to the rich. According to a new report from Sen. Tom Coburn, 2,362 millionaires received unemployment benefits in 2009.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/285713/do-we-need-big-government-michael-tanner

Crossroads GPS

http://www.crossroadsgps.org/

The US government pays its staff NOT to work

WASHINGTON—As Congress looks for ways to cut its $1.3 trillion deficit, the federal government is paying its employees $137 million a year not to work for Uncle Sam. Not working. That’s right. The Office of Personnel Management reports that taxpayers paid Federal workers over $137 million in 2010 to work as representatives for government unions, up from $129 million in 2009.

The time that union representatives spend not working for taxpayers is labeled 'official time' by OPM. According to the report, 'Official time is time spent by Federal employees performing representational work for a bargaining unit in lieu of their regularly assigned work.' Under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, this is perfectly legal.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2071716/The-US-government-pays-staff-NOT-work.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

More Than 60% of Americans Support Congressional Pay Cut, Say Congress Should Work

In a year where the U.S. congress has a record-low approval rating, it is perhaps to no surprise to many that a majority of voters say congressional lawmakers should have their salaries cut, their pensions eliminated, and be required to spend more time on Capitol Hill, according to a new poll from The Hill.One thing is for sure -- Americans across the country believe the U.S. Congress need to have their salary and benefits reflect their disappointing job performance. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said the $174,000 base salary for Congress should be lowered, while 69 percent said congressional lawmakers' pensions should be discontinued and another 64 percent said they should be required to work more days each year.  
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/262323/20111206/60-americans-support-congressional-pay-cut-say.htm

Must be Nice

China Rejects U.S. Ruling on Solar Imports

China said a preliminary ruling by a U.S. trade panel that imports of Chinese solar panels are harming the domestic industry shows the country’s “inclination to trade protectionism.”

The U.S. International Trade Commission on Dec. 2 took the first step toward imposing added tariffs on Chinese solar imports, voting unanimously in Washington on a petition by Bonn- based SolarWorld AG (SWV) that called for antidumping and countervailing duties. The commission will now hold a full investigation.

“The ruling was made without sufficient evidence showing U.S. solar panel industry has been harmed,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website yesterday. The decision was taken “regardless of defense opinions from Chinese firms, as well as opposition from the U.S. domestic industries and other stakeholders, which prominently shows the U.S.’s strong inclination to trade protectionism and for which China is deeply concerned.”

The Chinese government uses cash grants, raw-materials discounts, preferential loans, tax incentives and currency manipulation to boost exports of solar cells, according to SolarWorld’s Oct. 19 complaint to the ITC and the U.S. Commerce Department. SolarWorld, a maker of solar modules, is seeking duties to offset the practices.