Nearly three decades after Mr. Reagan's revolution, the single biggest piece of our economy, a third of it, is still government. From raking leaves in city parks to buying stealth bombers that cost 1.2 billion a copy, government takes the same share. But money for the basics that make society work is growing scarce. From those leaves in the park to textbooks to highway bridge maintenance to food safety inspections, money is dwindling because so much has been diverted to the already rich through giveaways, tax breaks, and a host of subsidies that range from the explicit to the deeply hidden.
David Cay Johnston
