Jobs Picture Still Not Looking Good

On Friday, the Bush administration received what initially appeared to be good news on the economic front with its monthly release on employment. In September, the unemployment rate was unchanged from August at 6.1%, and there was a net gain of 57,000 jobs. The good news was that this was the first net gain in jobs in seven months. However, the jobs data continue to indicate that, in all likelihood, the Bush administration will likely be the first since Hoover’s to have a net job contraction during its tenure.

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State and Local Finance Data Disappears

Analysts and policymakers are losing their most consistent, thorough source of state and local finance data for 2001 and 2003. The US Census Bureau did not publish state-by-state data on local government finance for fiscal year 2001 and will not be publishing it for 2003, a practice begun in 1970. In lieu of this data, the Census Bureau is publishing local finance estimates for the country as a whole. However, the Census Bureau will report the state level data for 2002 through the Census of Governments Report, and this data will be functionally similar to what was available before the Bureau stopped publishing such information, according to the government agency.

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APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE - MISSING THE DEADLINE AGAIN

FY 2004 appropriations unlikely to be completed by the start of the new budget year.

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Americans are Worried about the President and his $87 Billion Request for Iraq

Recent polls indicate that Americans are growing increasing worried about the Administration's handling of a number of issues.

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Internet Tax Bites the Dust in the House

The moratorium on state taxation of Internet services is likely to be extended.

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Digging Ourselves out of the $7 Trillion National Debt

The growing national debt and deficits as far as the eye can see prompt varied reactions.

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