The Price of Government: Getting the Results We Need in an Age of Permanent Fiscal Crisis.

• Position: Book Review

The Price of Government: Getting the Results We Need in an Age of Permanent Fiscal Crisis.

By David Osborne and Peter Hutchinson Basic Books, lay 2004

American government is deep in its worst fiscal crisis since World War II. In cities across the country, schools are forced to cut back in many ways that include eliminating music, sports, arts, and other programs. Some schools are even forced to close early because the money to operate them has run out. In New York City, there have been so many firehouse closings in the past couple of years that many citizens lead protests and question the safety of their lives and property in the case of an emergency. State and federal government are also feeling the crisis, and in Washington the federal government projects a...