Posted by Michel Lazare
In late March 2010, our former IMF Fiscal Affairs Department's colleague and regular contributor to the PFM Blog, Marc Robinson opened his Marc Robinson PFM Results Blog. Marc's blog is up to an excellent start. Over the last few weeks, it has published insightful posts on advanced PFM topics, the most recent one published on April 14 discusses the reform of accrual budgeting system in Australia and in particular the move away from fancy capital budgeting methods (e.g., funding depreciation) in favor of a return to more traditional budgeting of capital spending. This reform is also accompanied by increased oversight by the parliament over the amount of capital spending effectively undertaken in a particular fiscal year.
Some older posts on Marc's Blog may sound familiar to our PFM Blog readers, as they are versions of post published earlier on the PFM Blog.
Even more recently, on April 15, 2010, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) opened its Off the Charts Blog. The CBPP is a US nonprofit, nonpartisan policy organization working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals.
In his inaugural post, Robert Greenstein, the founder and Executive Director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides the rationale for the creation of Off the Charts. Here is a copy of his text:
Welcome to “Off the Charts,” the new blog of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
We face historic challenges that will shape our future — from ensuring that the economic recovery grows much stronger and produces broadly shared prosperity, to addressing unsustainable long-term budget deficits, to implementing the new health reform law, to reducing poverty. With this blog, we will present sharp and timely commentary to help you better understand these and the many other issues with which we are involved at the Center. We’ll go beyond (or “off”) our charts and analyses to provide additional insight.
Our bloggers are our senior experts on federal budget and tax, state budget and tax, the economy, health, Social Security, poverty, climate, food assistance, housing, and much more. Each of them holds a unique set of experiences and expertise that will be reflected in how they contribute to this blog.
We want your thoughts and comments as well. Help us make this a conversation among us about how we can strengthen the policies and improve the outcomes that are so integral to the success of this nation.
If you’ve found our blog, you’re probably familiar with our work. In case you are not, please read our “About” page. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and iTunes, and track our work by creating a myCenter account.
Once again, welcome! We hope you enjoy going “Off the Charts” with us.
Long lifes to both Marc Robinson's Blog and to Off the Charts!!
Note: The posts on the IMF PFM Blog should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy.
