Contributors

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Well, Let's Hear It!

I've done it. I have balanced the United States federal budget.


I'd like to see how the rest of you would fair. It's easy to reset and do your own so get on with it. I've heard a lot of griping about the government but now YOU are in charge. What cuts will you make? How will you balance the budget?

Cut and paste your link in comments. I expect to hear from all of my regulars.


11 comments:

sw said...

great, the person who always leaves discussions hanging on here when asked questions now expects to hear from everyone.

jeff c. said...

SW's comment=very, very played.

Let's hear how you would balance the budget, sw. Here are my results...

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html?choices=9mt255qm

BTW, the simple fact that Mark has a daily blog makes your comment absurd.

blk said...

While this is instructive in that it makes it obvious that it's possible to eliminate the deficit, it's sort of beside the point.

Of course one person can balance the budget. The hard part isn't making the numbers come out right. The hard part is getting everyone to agree on those numbers.

The thing I found most instructive was that if you return to the tax and spending policies that we had during the most recent extended period of real growth and prosperity across all economic strata, balancing the budget is pretty straightforward.

That was during the Clinton years. Companies did well then and so did regular folks. That combined with more controls on the financial industry to prevent the excesses that got us into trouble back then (and in the late 80s and the last few years) would solve our problems.

Anonymous said...

No way I would ever cut that payroll tax ceiling. There is no better feeling than that first check of the year when you've paid off social security.

dw

36% tax up
64% spending down

the iowa kid said...

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html?choices=vd2kh0j5

31% taxes up.
69% spending down.

last in line said...

You two are tax raising commies!! aahhhhh!

6Kings said...

Mine:
15% taxes
85% spending cuts

I bet I could do it all spending if there were more options available in the quiz. I know there are plenty of bloated areas.

Anonymous said...

Why does it not strike people as odd to create a deficit commission AFTER already going on the spending spree?

last in line said...

Exactly

juris imprudent said...

M can balance the federal budget but Obama can't. Interesting.

Remember when M and all of Obama's backers told us how much better he would be on respecting our civil rights? Where is all the outrage about the excesses of the last administration? Are you such sad partisan sheep that you've lost your ability to even go "bahhhhh"?

juris imprudent said...

Oh, and remember that crazy guy Thomas Sowell - funny that you should mostly agree with him about spending.