Bottom line, the budgetary rules treating growth as a given instead of the all important variable for achieving budget balance have both sides of the aisle ignoring the most important question: What policy changes would achieve a sustained period of 4% growth?

FORBES: The Budget Stalemate Shows The Need For Monetary Reform

In his budget, the President proposed slapping taxes on new sales of variable annuities. (People who already own annuities will have a one-time opportunity to switch from one variable contract to another, tax free.) Clinton's levies include taxing income and capital gains if the holder transfers assets from one subaccount (a mutual-fund-type account) to another.

FORBES: Fact and Comment

Progress on monetary reform is the overlooked, all important variable that will shape the outlook for financial markets, economic growth and the prospect for balancing the budget of federal, state and local governments, to say nothing of the budget of the average American family.

FORBES: The Budget Stalemate Shows The Need For Monetary Reform