Simon Johnson: Is There a Fiscal Crisis in the United States? - NYTimes.com
But much more of the increase in the deficit was because of tax cuts under George W. Bush, Medicare Part D (which expanded coverage for prescription medicines) and – most of all – the financial crisis that brought down the economy and sharply reduced tax revenue starting in September 2008.
Our modern debt surge is much more about declining federal government revenue than it is about runaway spending. If you believe strongly that our fiscal issues are primarily about “runaway spending,” please read our book.
The smart approach is to begin the long and not-so-nice work of controlling deficits while allowing the economy to grow.
