The suffering will be widespread in Michigan as lawmakers dig the state out of next year's projected $1.4 billion budget hole.Snyder's plan eliminates the unpopular Michigan Business Tax in favor of a much smaller corporate income tax. To make up for the lost revenue, many tax exemptions and credits, both for business and individuals, would be erased. The most controversial of those eliminate an extra credit for the working poor and reduce pension exemptions.In total, income tax revenue would rise in 2013 nearly as much as business tax collections decline.

Lower income earners will see a small increase in their pay packets from July 1 when the government rushes forward $1.37 billion in tax breaks.The tax cut was to be delivered when people filed their returns at the end of the financial year, but the government is changing the timing in a gesture to cost-of-living pressures and to encourage people into work and to work more.

When it comes to taxes, do the rich pay their fair share? The answer, of course, is subjective since "fair" is not an absolute concept and tax data, depending how it's sliced, can tell different stories. Those who say the rich pay their fair share point to the fact that the top 1% of taxpayers end up paying almost as much in federal income tax (and some years even more) as the bottom 95% combined. Still, it's unlikely that even the most anti-tax, pro-wealth advocates would find this particularly fair: A very small number of millionaires end up owing no federal income tax at all.

This article discusses the author's view which goes against the implementation of supply side policies as well as how no amount of supply push will fundamentally change the U.S. oil predicament. The author also disputes that no good oil policy will solve the climate problem...Read more to find out what else he has to say about supply-side policies.

In a new study of federal fiscal policies between 1977 and 1992 entitled "Inequality and the Federal Budget Deficit," the nonpartisan group concludes that the tax cuts enacted in that period enriched the wealthy, increased the tax burden of the middle class, and grossly inflated the national debt. The study concludes that the tax cuts have resulted in lower overall federal tax burdens for only the very poorest and very richest of U.S. taxpayers. Most other families are paying a greater percentage of their family income to the government than they would be if the tax code had remained unchanged since 1977.

Kemp, a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, represented western New York for nine terms in Congress, leaving the House for an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1988. Eight years later, after serving a term as President George H.W. Bush's housing secretary, he made it onto the GOP's national ticket as Bob Dole's running mate. With that loss, the Republican no longer ran for office, but he stayed in politics. In speaking engagements and a syndicated column, he continued to advocate for the tax reform and supply-side policies -- the idea that the more taxes are cut, the more the economy will grow -- that he pioneered. He also formed a Washington strategic consulting firm, Kemp Partners, after leaving office.

"The chain of logic for supply-side policies to work requires the following. Lower tax rates on savings (or on those who save more) leads to higher saving rates. Higher saving leads to more economic investments and greater capital accumulation. Finally, more capital leads to greater economic growth. At each of these steps, however, there is reason to doubt the theory-there are other possible outcomes and conflicting theories. Rep. Ryan's plan is supply-side economics on steroids. His budget for fiscal year 2012 beginning in October would curtail spending, end Medicare as we know it, and reduce taxes on the wealthy while keeping overall tax revenue constant. This can only mean taxes will go up on the "nonwealthy." Ryan boasts that all this pain will be for good. And he is backed by the Heritage Foundation, which predicts-among other fantastical claims-that his budget will add an estimated additional 1 million jobs in 2012. Those 1 million jobs, however, are fictional."

Monetary policy has become even more accommodative since the peak of the financial crisis in Frankfurt. Read more to discover how the central bank has exerted its power in order to ensure price stability, its primary task.

The governor of the New Zealand central bank said monetary policy would continue to focus on medium term inflation pressures and would be used if they rise because of high commodity prices and the exchange rate.

U.S. economic activity has slowed in the past few months as oil prices weigh on sentiment. Oil prices could push up headline inflation, it's advised that central banks shouldn't over-react as this is likely to be temporary and could lead to a monetary policy mistake.

India, Mumbai, April 12: The weak industrial output numbers may have sparked calls for a pause in monetary tightening, but the Reserve Bank of India is unlikely to oblige. Also, a sticky inflation situation may force the RBI to raise key rates for the ninth time in 15 months.... It seems as though India is stuck between raising interest rates and reducing inflation or reducing interest rates for the sake of maintaining and stimulating its economic growth...

Imposition of levies (taxes) by G20 governments to reduce government budget deficit: The G20 summit held in Canada over the weekend has confirmed the trend of fiscal consolidation which is happening in many of the major world economies in the wake of the financial crisis and recession. Leaders have agreed that debt as a proportion of gross domestic product needs to be stabilised or actually reduced by 2016 and it was noted that all the G20 countries had committed to halving their respective deficits within three years. Plans to introduce a global levy on banks have, as expected, been dropped although the summit confirmed that member countries would be free to introduce their own measures. The UK introduced a levy in the emergency Budget last week and some other European countries also have plans to do so...

The UK started reducing government expenditure, easing its fiscal policy to compensate for debt: There are a couple of notable points raised by the BRC in the Outlook: one is their view of economic growth and the other is the number of job losses caused by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne's public spending cuts. The BRC state that they believe the UK economy will continue to recover but at a slower pace than after the recessions of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. They put this "sluggish outlook" down to "the gradual normalisation of credit conditions, efforts to reduce private sector indebtedness and the impact of the Government's fiscal consolidation."

This article discusses how, in some circumstances, fiscal policy has no knock-on effect onto private spending. This is the case when government debt is high (over 60 per cent of GDP) and when exchange rates are flexible.

Many rich countries' debt levels are uncomfortably close to 150-year highs, despite relative peace in much of the world. There is a no easy way out. For now, low world interest rates are restraining debt-service costs, but debt levels can be reduced only very gradually over long periods, whereas real (inflation-adjusted) interest rates can rise far more quickly, even for rich countries. More examples regarding indebted countries and whether or not they should reconsider their fiscal policies to relieve their debt are further discussed in the article.

This article discusses hope of Latin America's business cycle turning for the better in the future.... Boosting business confidence, increasing demand for exports, tourism, technological advances and implementation, as well as increasing consumer confidence all suggest a promising future for Latin America. Or perhaps not?

A recent flurry of data suggests things may finally be turning up for Japan's economy. Deflation has moderated to nearly zero, and the central bank believes gentle inflation may at last return. Capital expenditure also was up slightly in the most recent period, raising the prospect of green shoots of corporate activity. Yet against those positives come fears over rising oil prices?

The thrust of fiscal policy in South Australia since 1994 towards reduced budget deficits and the elimination of government dissaving (borrowing to fund consumption, mainly salaries) was opposed from the outset from within the ruling alliance, with calls for a larger role for the state in the economy being accompanied by demands for increased government spending and larger deficits. With president Thabo Mbeki 's departure in 2008 brought about in part by the same political elements, there were reasons for believing that fiscal policy might change. But the global financial crisis and the local recession instead took precedence over policy debates within the alliance. Budget deficits rose and interest rates fell, but for cyclical reasons and not ideological pressures.

"Consumer spending makes up more than 70 percent of the economy, and it usually drives growth during economic recoveries." This article discusses how the truth is that consumer spending does not account for 70 percent of economic activity and is not the mainstay of the U. S. economy. Investment is! Business spending on capital goods, new technology, entrepreneurship, and productivity are more significant than consumer spending in sustaining the economy and a higher standard of living. In the business cycle, production and investment lead the economy into and out a recession; retail demand is the most stable component of economic activity.

Japan's struggle to avert a nuclear disaster and prepare for a reconstruction of epic proportions is one more risk for a global economy already grappling with mounting risks. The threats to the fragile recovery were already rising before the devastating earthquake and tsunami brought the world's third-largest industrial economy to its knees. And they span the globe - from conflict and oil disruptions in the Middle East and rising inflation in China and other high-growth emerging economies to continuing debt woes in Europe and persistent weakness in U.S. housing and employment, whose recovery is essential to any sustained U.S. rebound. Adding to the wall of worry, governments have pulled the plug on massive stimulus programs, which played a crucial role in turning around economic fortunes in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown and ensuing recession. Are these symptoms of an upcoming recession?