Well now, this certainly seems like an issue that people ought to pay attention to; the Associated Press has a report on a new study released today by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and the Urban Institute Health Policy Center, showing that Bernie Sanders’ economic plans would increase the federal deficit by at least $18 trillion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders’ tax and spending proposals would provide new levels of health and education benefits for American families, but they’d also blow an $18-trillion hole in federal deficits, piling on so much debt they would damage the economy.

[…]

The bottom line: Sanders would raise taxes by more than $15 trillion over 10 years, with most of that paid by upper-income earners. But his proposed government-run health care system, along with free undergraduate college, enhanced Social Security, family and medical leave, and other new programs, would spend far more, adding $18 trillion to federal debt over a decade.

Previous studies have come up with similar numbers, but the Sanders campaign just brushed them off as “flawed.” This one comes from two well-regarded nonpartisan think tanks, and may be a little more difficult for him to disregard.