Taxes
Covering topics such as bonds, cryptocurrency, federal aid and pensions.
States are spending a lot of their federal TANF money on things that don’t help families that need it the most, and work reporting requirements keep too many families from accessing benefits.
We’re used to blaming the Army Corps of Engineers for monolithic, expensive reclamation projects that go bad. Here’s something they did right, and at a very low cost.
The White House, tech firms, insurers and educational organizations announced near-future steps to improve national cybersecurity, including new NIST guidelines and tech support for governments looking to upgrade defenses.
Federally-assisted unemployment benefits, an extra $300 a week, are set to expire on Sept. 6 and many experts aren’t sure that the end in boosted pay will get people back to work.
The massive infrastructure bill, if approved, could give the state $100 million for expanding its rural Internet and subsidize services, which would be significant for the nearly 20 percent of households without broadband.
After 16 fare-free months due to the pandemic, the city’s public transportation system will once again start charging for bus fares. But many worry how this will impact homeless or vulnerable populations.
Labor market shortages and private-sector competition compel states and localities to get creative. Removing a major impediment to filling vacant jobs seems worth a look.
The citywide network would cost $3.4 million plus $501,000 in annual upkeep fees. City officials believe the benefits outweigh the costs while many residents worry their taxes would foot the bill.
The lasting problems of infrastructure aren’t of need or construction, but of overbuilding, delayed costs and the challenges of thinking ahead.
The state’s unemployment debt amounts to more than 43 percent of all that is owed to the federal government. As much as $11 billion of the state’s unemployment payments were fraudulent.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families was created in 1996 and was meant to create a system that no longer fostered dependency. While some believe that the overhaul did exactly that, others claim it may have made things worse.
The new infrastructure bill could make buses and trains faster, cleaner and more reliable. But it will take bold local policies to fill them with passengers.
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified the state that it cannot proceed with plans to require people to work to keep their medical coverage, which would likely result in thousands losing health care.
Governments can’t seem to stop offering huge incentives to corporations, even though it's clear they don't have much effect on companies’ decisions. Does paying $288,000 for one job really make sense?
Declining cable viewership means less revenue for local governments. Fort Scott hopes it can staunch the loss by making the streaming giants pay a franchise fee, something they currently don’t do.
Despite a record surplus, agencies have been told not to expect the extra money in their budgets. Republican legislators want to cut taxes while Democrats support expanded Medicaid and investments in education.
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