Media & Press

Monday, June 10 2013

CNBC’s “Closing Bell” – “Saving the U.S. Debt”

"Saving the U.S. Debt"

David Walker is raising red flags about the new healthcare law, what we all affectionately refer to as Obamacare. He thinks cities and states could move retirees to those government exchanges that will be created through Obama care, helping their fiscal situation, but at the expense of taxpayers across America.

Monday, June 10 2013

CTPost.com: Malloy Should Reject Budget and Revise Cap

  Passing a biennial budget is arguably the most important responsibility of our elected state officials. The budget lays out a set of priorities for the state, reflects collective values and charts a course for the future. Unfortunately, while passing a budget is a critical function, it typically incites partisans and idealogues from all sides. Given the enormous amount of rhetoric and spin over the past few weeks, it is hard for the average citizen to separate fact from fiction. Our state has serious economic, competitiveness and financial challenges. Connecticut has the worst job creation record in the nation over the past several decades, and the state leads the nation in many fiscal categories that a state doesn't want to be first in (e.g., total liabilities and unfunded promises per taxpayer). Some modes progress has been made in recent years on some fronts, but if this budget and the process by which it was achieved is any indication, our future outlook for truth and transformation is poor. Read the rest of the op-ed here! Learn More

Thursday, June 6 2013

USA TODAY: Retiree Benefits and Obamacare Collide

States can unload their retirees' health insurance responsibilities on Obamacare exchanges.

Oct. 1, 2013 is a focus of increasing anxiety in this country. That's the date when enrollments begin for the federally run health insurance exchanges, created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). No one really knows what to expect, but it could be far worse than advertised - and for a reason that has more to do with the federal deficit than health care. What's anticipated is unsettling enough. President Obama speaks of inevitable "glitches and bumps" in the implementation . Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) sees the possibility of "a huge train wreck" if the public isn't adequately educated and prepared. Supporters of the ACA, especially Democrats in Congress, are nervous about taking the blame if the exchanges don't unfold as intended. Read the full op-ed here!         Learn More

Monday, June 3 2013

NAFA Annuity Outlook Magazine: The Fiscal Grand Bargain

The Fiscal Grand Bargain: Former US Comptroller General Speaks Out About What's Really Happening on Capitol Hill

  The editorial staff of NAFA Annuity Outlook Magazine and president and CEO of NAFA, Kim O'Brien, conducted an exclusive interview with the Honorable David M. Walker. Mr. Walker served as Comptroller General of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from 1998 - 2008. Mr. Walker is also the Founder and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative. As the industry awaits the fallout from the President's federal budget proposal, along with the anticipation of changes affecting the tax laws surrounding life insurance and annuities, the following interview reveals that we may be waiting a bit longer for any real change to occur. According to Mr. Walker, the new federal budget proposal is more of a new attempt to get a fiscal grand bargain discussion going again rather than an attempt to influence the fiscal 2014 budget Read the full interview HERE! Learn More

Sunday, June 2 2013

Face the State: The Fiscal State of Connecticut

Watch David Walker on Face the State with Dennis House   WFSB 3 Connecticut

Friday, May 31 2013

Government Executive Magazine: White House Unveils First-Ever Inventory of Federal Programs

Embarking on a project long-sought by lawmakers and government efficiency experts, the Office of Management and Budget on Friday released a unique inventory of federal programs in 24 departments. As called for in the 2010 Government Performance and Results Modernization Act, the inventory of some 1,600 programs was prepared by departments using a Government Accountability Office definition that deemed a program an "organized set of activities directed toward a common purpose or goal that an agency undertakes of proposes to carry out its responsibilities." Each program listed includes a title, description and link to the strategic goals and objectives of the agency. OMB spokeswoman Ari Isaacman Astles said, "each agency further defined programs in a way that reflects how the agency delivers and discusses its activities with Congress and other stakeholders." Read the full article here!   Learn More

Tuesday, May 21 2013

Squawk Box: Realities of Tax Repatriation

David Walker on Squawk Box discussing the "Realities of Tax Repatriation".

  "This is a mess of a system. The fact that they use the word "avoidance" tells me it's not illegal. "Evasion" is illegal. "Avoidance" is not.