Tax Freedom Day would come 27 days later, on May 14 instead of April 17, if the federal government raised taxes enough to close the budget deficit.

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It would close the budget deficit by raising tax rates on the rich and giant corporations, while also curbing military spending and wrestling health care costs under control, partly by introducing a public option.

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For all his talk of "listening to the Greeks", Tsipras neglects to mention leaving the euro would require even more draconian austerity because Greece would have to close its primary budget deficit overnight.

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In January's election, new politicians such as Yair Lapid, finance minister, rose to power on promises to help the middle class at a time when Israel needs to cut spending and raise taxes to close a growing budget deficit.

CNN: Israel's richest man risks anger over UK move

This reflects a sharp drop in house prices and sales, cutting tax revenues and pushing the budget deficit close to the stability-pact ceiling this year, and probably over it in 2009.

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The U.S. budget deficit is close to 10% of gross domestic product today, and its debt-to-GDP ratio has spiked by 20 percentage points in under two years.

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Above all, why has he never produced a credible plan to tackle the budget deficit, currently close to 10% of GDP?

ECONOMIST: Barack Obama and the Republicans

The budget deficit in 2011 was probably close to 10% of GDP, barely changed from 2010.

ECONOMIST: Rescuing Greece