On Jan. 14, the New York Times reported that “President Obama on Friday announced an aggressive campaign to shrink the size of the federal government, a proposal less notable for its goal — the fight against bloat that has been embraced by every modern-day president — than for the political challenge it poses to a hostile Congress.” more

If Black Friday’s message is a broad-stroke “Buy! Buy! Buy!” then the theme of the more focused Small Business Saturday is “Buy local!” So that’s the theme to shop … more

Halfway through his first term as county executive, Ed Mangano is proposing yet another budget that takes a hatchet to spending. more

The U.S. government faces a historic choice over the next very few years: get our fiscal house in order or see our status as a world economic power permanently lost in an avalanche of debt. Fiscal responsibility knows no party or ideological bounds. It is neither Democratic nor Republican, liberal or conservative. If our economy falters, the consequences will be dire for us all. Our children and grandchildren will face the very real prospect of living less well off than previous generations. The American Dream of ever-growing prosperity will evaporate. Our future will look more like that of bankrupt Greece. more

South Nassau Communities Hospital, like business and residents all over the South Shore, is having to take measures to deal with the rising costs of fuel, food and other commodities. Mark Bogen, … more

At a special meeting on April 4, the Island Park village board adopted its 2011-12 budget, which is about $110,000 larger than the current spending plan and includes a 7.8 percent tax increase for … more

Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget plan, South Nassau Communities Hospital may lose around $2 million in state funding, but hospital officials say they believe it is a storm the institution … more

On Feb. 28, in front of sizable crowd of teachers, parents and students in the School 4 auditorium, Oceanside School District officials presented their second workshop on the 2011-12 budget, and the … more

There are times when I wish it was 2012. Not because I’m wishing my life away but because I’d love to see how today’s crop of politicians worked their way out of the worst financial crises in federal, state and local history. more

In one of its first orders of business in the new legislative session, the State Senate passed the Job Creation and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2011 on Jan. 19. Supporters of the three-part plan say it will encourage the creation of new private-sector jobs with a tax credit, ensure fiscal responsibility with the enactment of a 2 percent state spending cap and require a two-thirds “super-majority” vote to increase taxes if the Assembly, and then voters, approve a constitutional amendment. more