Craig excerpts an interesting article below that reminds us that there was once a time when the median wage tracked productivity- or, as I like to think, a time when people were paid what they earned.

Tax day is coming up; want to be disgusted by what your income taxes are actually paying for? Check out this new report from the National Priorities Project.

The Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation ought to be happy. The coverage of the House budget resolution more or less includes their talking points about how "spending is the problem" with the federal budget. What's more, these ideas are not attributed; they're just presented as facts that the reporters decided, for an unnamed reason, to add to these stories. THe New York Times:

This afternoon, House Democrats announced they would permit consideration of three substitute budget proposals during debate of the FY 2008 budget resolution. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said today he expected substitute budgets from the Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the House Republicans. While this is far more options than Representatives have had in the past under Republican rule, Some feel a notable omission from that list is the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. While the Blue Dogs are unlikely to support the Black Caucus budget or the Progressive budget because the spending levels are a bit too hot for their taste, they will not support the Republican budget either, because the tax policies and low spending levels make cold. By opting not to offer their own version, it seems members of the Blue Dogs Coalition felt the main democratic proposal combined the right blend of fiscal responsibility and funding for pressing needs. While reestablishing a commitment to paying for changes to mandatory spending and taxes in the budget, the Democratic Leadership plan still boosts discretionary spending levels for under funded and neglected national priorities and investments, such as Head Start, child care, and housing. The Democrats' budget would allow about $25 billion more in discretionary spending in 2008 than President Bush has requested, and about $7 billion more than the Senate-adopted plan. In addition, like the Senate plan, the House budget would add additional funds (and deficit-neutral offsets) for mandatory nutrition and health care programs. While this is only a first step in repairing some of the damage done to important priorities in the federal budget over the past six years and before, it seems the Democrats have used a recipe that is neither too hot nor too cold, but just about right.