Long-term Fiscal Challenges Demand New Metrics, Mechanisms, and Processes

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics

Long-term Fiscal Challenges Demand New Metrics, Mechanisms, and Processes

  • Accounting and reporting policies for trust funds, Social Security, Medicare, Veterans benefits, among other things, need to be reviewed and revised (e.g., possible fiscal burden statement with per capita and intergenerational figures)

  • The current budget time horizon [2-year, 5-year, 10-year] does not capture many long-term costs - e.g. Social Security, Medicare, pension insurance - and other major tax and spending provisions

  • Cash and obligations-based budgeting is misleading for insurance and some benefit programs

  • Budget controls have expired - and we need to go beyond "holding the line" to "changing the base" in spending and tax policies