Free Republic

Manchester, New Hampshire (CNN)Donald Trump estimated on Tuesday that it will cost about $8 billion to build the wall he has promised to erect on the U.S.'s southern border if elected president.Trump has vowed to force Mexico to pay for the border wall and said Tuesday on MSNBC that the hefty $8 billion price tag "is a tiny fraction of the money that we lose with Mexico" on trade."The wall is probably $8 billion, which is a tiny fraction of the money that we lose with Mexico. We lose a tremendous amount of trade deficits. We have a trade deficit...

East Bay lawmakers predict a gruesome fight this spring over both the gaping state budget deficit and the rules under which California makes its financial decisions. California's projected $8 billion deficit for the upcoming fiscal year will force some tough choices because less painful options have been exhausted. The Legislature is on a partisan collision course between unpopular cuts and less popular tax increases, including the vehicle license fee. Republicans and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vow "no new taxes" while Democrats, labor unions and advocates for recipients of state-funded services, including schools, seniors and the poor, have called for a mix...