In the Water, In the Air: Wednesday, December 04, 2013.

FISCAL FOLLIES: DECEMBER 2013 CONTINUING RESOLUTION

Government shutdown part 2? Democrats line up against stopgap spending bill (Mike Lillis and Erik Wasson, The Hill, 12/03).

FISCAL FOLLIES: FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014 DEBT LIMIT

Why the Next Debt Limit Debacle Might be Worse (Ben Harris, Tax Policy Center, 12/03).

DEFICITS AND DEBT

Washington Is In Denial About the Budget Deficit (Ron Haskins, RealClearMarkets, 12/04).

ECONOMIC REPORTS

Slate Writer Is Dead Wrong to Root Against Community Banks (Rob Blackwell, American Banker, 12/03).

ECONOMICS 101

War on the Poor: The welfare state has eroded the culture of individual initiative (John C. Goodman, Ph.D., Psychology Today, 12/03).

Where Is the Love? (Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times, 11/27).

Is Poverty Really The Result Of Bad Luck? (John Goodman, Forbes, 12/03).

What the Pope Got Right About Capitalism (Robert Scheer, The Nation, 12/03).

Pope Francis Is No Economist (Bill Frezza, Forbes, 12/03).

Love the poor? Pope called a commie for obeying Jesus (Al Lewis, MarketWatch, 12/04).

REVENUE-SIDE REFORM

The Corporate Tax Rate Debate: Lower Taxes on Corporate Profits Not Linked to Job Creation (Center for Effective Government, MonthSlashDay).

Give Families’ Second Earners a Break (Peter R. Orszag, Bloomberg, 12/03).

Big picture on corporate tax reform (Walter Glavin, The Hill, 12/03).

MIXED-SIDE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Left and Right Are Both Wrong About Regulation (Cass R. Sunstein, Bloomberg, 12/03).

Minimum Wage Boosters Don't Know Basic Economics (Diana Furchtgott-Roth, RealClearMarkets, 12/04).

GOVERNMENT FINANCE AND FINANCIAL POLICY

Credit Bubble Bulletin: Fed fails to learn (Doug Noland, Asia Times, 12/02).

HOUSEHOLD FINANCE -- STUDENT DEBT

Students Blame Colleges for Debt Woes (Quick Takes, Inside Higher Ed, 12/04).

GLOBAL ECONOMY

What’s the Problem With Advanced Economies? (Kenneth Rogoff, Project Syndicate, 12/04).

PUBLIC PENSIONS -- ILLINOIS

Long way to go after pension deal (Editorial, Chicago Sun-Times, 12/03).

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BANKRUPTCY

Detroit Is Bankrupt: What Now? (Anna Clark, Pacific Standard, 12/03).

Detroit Bankruptcy Bankrupts Democracy (John Nichols, The Nation, 12/03).

Lesson from Detroit: Get ready for more muni mess (Jeff Cox, CNBC NetNet, 12/04).

MOBILITY AND EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY

Rand Paul offers 'Freedom Zones' to save bankrupt Detroit (Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, 12/04).

About the Demos/Rockefeller convening on New Economic Paradigms (Demos).

FACTION

The Center Cannot Hold (Thomas B. Edsall, The New York Times, 12/03).