Free Republic

For years, San Francisco's budget challenges were met by shaving 2 or 3 percent off the municipal bill. An economy built on tourism, office towers and ever-rising real estate values cushioned the city against more severe financial shocks. Until now. Mayor Gavin Newsom has cut $118 million via layoffs and deleted programs, with more trims possible by June if tax revenues shrink further. Then comes the real hit: a predicted $575 million gap for next fiscal year. With a workforce of over 26,000 and a budget of $6.6 billion, these numbers may sound small. But only $1.2 billion is really...

Former Reagan diplomat Alan Keyes commented Sept. 23 on the federal government's bailout of mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The former Assistant Secretary of State, currently running for president as an independent, said the bailout plan as proposed by the Bush administration would effectively transform our nation into "a socialist society." The following is the text of Keyes' statement: What I have to say about the bailout is that, with a concrete proposal on the table, it becomes much more obvious what is actually going on right now, and I think that we have to confront it. And...

The Fund for Peace recently released its second annual report on countries at risk of devolving into anarchy, civil war, chaos, and collapse. Dubbed the “Failed States Index,” the listing rates more than 140 countries based on 12 key indicators. The first edition of the FSI was released last summer in partnership with Foreign Policy magazine. Although it garnered little fanfare in major U.S. media outlets, Americans should take notice of the countries at the top—or bottom, rather—of the FSI. After all, this is where much of America’s blood and treasure is being spent. The FSI’s 12-part formula for failure...