Shrinking government? Florida to lay off 1,600 state workers by Friday

TALLAHASSEE — Pink slips are going out to more than 1,600 state workers by Friday, the human toll of the austere spending plan approved by lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott this spring.

Facing a nearly $4 billion budget deficit, the legislature cut thousands of jobs, froze hiring and forced state workers to contribute 3 percent of their salaries to their pension plans in the 2011-2012 budget [...]

Credit crisis is emerging again!

1) Debt-hit Greece threatened with health supply freeze

“ATHENS — Greece’s debt-plagued state hospitals faced a supply embargo after providers rejected Saturday a government compromise plan to repay billions of euros owed for equipment and medicine purchases.

“This proposal forces our companies to shut down altogether,” Panagiotis Stravolaimos, head of the association of science and health providers (SEP) told Mega channel on Saturday.

“I do not think there is [...]