Public Finance

The bottom line: It's time to restore dental care for the poor

2013-05-22 16:45:00

SACRAMENTO — State Capitol politicians may have an extra $3.2 billion to play with. Or they may not. It depends on whose figures you believe: nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor's or contrarian Gov. Jerry Brown's. I tend to have more...

Federal deficit shrinks at surprising rate

2013-05-14 18:56:00

WASHINGTON — The federal deficit is shrinking more quickly than expected, and the government's long-term debt has largely stabilized for the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday in a report that could strengthen the Obama...

Knicks, Pacers advance in six games

2013-05-03 19:58:00

Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points and the visiting New York Knicks held on after blowing most of a 26-point lead to beat the Boston Celtics, 88-80, in Game 6 on Friday night and advance in the postseason for the first time since 2000. Iman Shumpert...

The wrong way for Washington to avoid defaulting

2013-05-08 06:00:00

It's rare that the president explicitly pledges to veto a bill -- usually, the White House says the president's advisors would "recommend" a veto -- but that's what happened Tuesday. The measure in question is HR 807, the Full Faith and Credit Act, by...

First, fix the tax code

2013-05-07 00:00:00

The federal government is expected to hit its statutory credit limit later this month, setting the stage for yet another battle between the Obama administration and the House GOP over raising the debt ceiling. Republican leaders of the House Ways and...

Chained thinking on the federal deficit

2013-04-23 19:15:00

Washington's tug of war over the federal budget has many wonders, but the biggest one of all must be the lengths to which politicians and pundits will go to deprive Granny and Grandpa of $30 a month. That's the amount by which benefits for the average...

NBA playoffs: Nate Robinson and Bulls stun Nets, 142-134 in 3 OTs

2013-04-27 21:15:00

Nate Robinson scored 34 points, and the Chicago Bulls wiped out a 14-point deficit late in regulation and beat the Brooklyn Nets, 142-134, in triple overtime Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series. The Bulls were trailing, 109-95,...

Dwight Howard can't hold it all together for Lakers

2013-04-24 23:10:00

SAN ANTONIO -- Kobe Bryant wasn't tweeting Wednesday night, so perhaps the most compelling electronic observation came from a text sent to press row from a neighbor who probably spoke for a city. "Dwight ain't Shaq." In three words, that was the...

U.S. economy grows at 2.5% rate in 1st quarter

2013-04-26 05:51:00

WASHINGTON -- U.S. economic growth accelerated from January through March, buoyed by the strongest consumer spending in more than two years. The strength offset further declines in government spending that are expected to drag on growth throughout the...

Wendy Greuel outlines fresh attack on rival Eric Garcetti

2013-04-23 16:49:00

Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Wendy Greuel stepped up attacks on rival Eric Garcetti on Tuesday, repeating ethical accusations brought up at Monday night’s televised debate and adding a new one -- that Garcetti accepted thousands in donations at a...

Greuel steps up attacks on Garcetti in L.A. mayor's race

2013-04-23 21:01:00

Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Wendy Greuel stepped up attacks on rival Eric Garcetti on Tuesday, repeating ethical accusations brought up at Monday night's televised debate and adding a new one — that Garcetti accepted thousands in donations at a...

How an Excel error fueled panic over the federal debt

2013-04-16 11:23:00

One of the most fearsome statistics in the war against the federal deficit has always been the country's ratio of debt to gross domestic product. When this ratio reaches 90%, the argument goes, watch out -- lower economic growth is on the horizon. And...

The federal budget deficit for the first half of the fiscal year is $53 billion less than it was in the same period a year ago, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

2012-04-06 00:00:00

Mark Lenz has joined the Chicago law firm of Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa. Lenz focuses on public finance, real estate and public law.

2010-08-24 00:00:00

President Obama signs the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act at the White House on July 22, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The signed bill will require federal agencies to put forth more funds towards audits to curb improper spending. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman-Pool/Getty Images)

2010-07-22 17:27:02