You Fix The Budget!

[deadliestwarrior]

i found that almost all the choices that helped eliminate the deficit felt so...
democratic. cutting almost all the military spending is what actually got me to around
only 45 billion debt.

[toshimelonhead]

Hooray I fixed the budget!

Looks a tad "pie in the sky" to me, but that's fine. Ended up going on a "cutting spree" and cut 900 billon additional dollars by 2030, which could be used for an R&D tax credit for businesses and expansion of charter schools--or reducing the national debt.

Perhaps I should have left Social Security alone since I easily could have done so or expand it more towards seniors in poverty who need it most.

[ak_Archangel]

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=8b2955q9 = pro

[Chubbs]

I WOULD fix the budget, but im busy trying to obtain oil from middle-eastern countries.

Either way : Fix'd

[comatthew6]

Yay! I did it!

I thought this was actually VERY cool - and I'm sixteen.

[Surgo]

Speaking of budget fixes, what do you guys think of the new spending freeze on federal employees?

Seems like a shortsighted decision to me. Agencies like the NSA are already having a really tough time attracting the kind of experts they're looking for because said experts find better money in private industry. Now it just got worse for them.

[Shiny_Tyranitar]

Originally Posted by Fat Surgo

Speaking of budget fixes, what do you guys think of the new spending freeze on federal employees?

Seems like a shortsighted decision to me. Agencies like the NSA are already having a really tough time attracting the kind of experts they're looking for because said experts find better money in private industry. Now it just got worse for them.

I seem to remember Obama saying in an October 2008 debate that this kind of action (which was proposed by McCain) was similar to using a hatchet when we need a scalpel. My how I miss that open-minded and critical thinking progressive that we knew during the election season.

But yeah, I'd agree that it is short sighted and a stupid move. Obama's trying to reach across the aisle (AGAIN) by proposing policies previously supported by republicans and I guarantee that republicans will take a step back and criticize him (for a Harvard graduate Obama sure doesn't understand cause-and-effect). The proposal will save an estimated $60 billion over 10 years (should it last that long) which is less than 10% of what the government would save by letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the richest 2% of Americans.

I'll call him out for it, this is just pandering for the 2012 elections, but I see it back firing.

[jonathanrp]

Eliminating bush's tax cuts is one of the easiest way to do it. They were a bad idea back then, and they're still bad, taxes are what fuel the government, and *gasp* fueling the mostly Republican-backed wars.
Yet the Republicans are threatening to block anything Obama does if he doesn't extend them.

Shows you how intelligent people are.

[toshimelonhead]

Yet the Republicans are threatening to block anything Obama does if he doesn't extend them.

Even if Obama does that they still won't cooperate. It's almost like appeasement at this point.

[jonathanrp]

Originally Posted by Fat toshimelonhead

Even if Obama does that they still won't cooperate. It's almost like appeasement at this point.

Thats the sad thing about this county. The politicians don't give a damn about the people. They only care about their careers.

[McGrrr]

CUT EVERYTHING

Apparently I had already solved the budget deficit by the time I had scrolled to social security, but I kept going! This means that no tax increases are even necessary!

The only thing I didn't check was "use a different measure of inflation" because CPI already underestimates inflation.

When the balance of payments finally breaks even, then would be the time to lower taxes.

[Ice-eyes]

The view of a 'liberal'. To be honest, I think of myself as more of a pragmatist - defining yourself by political ideology can get in the way of doing what is necessary.

[koipen]

My solution

Cut alot in military and some in federal stuff. Increased taxes, especially those concerning rich people. I went one trillion / 100 billion over the needed savings.

[Euphoria]

cut money on social security it will blow up in the governments face in ten more years or so.

[UncleSam]

Cool little toy.

Almost all my savings came from spending cuts...worth noting that in my solution we gain more money long-term than short term (well under the budget long-term although barely under it short-term).

I mainly focused on Social Security and Medicare, although I added a few taxes to it.

[killazys]

What is this whole focus on cutting things? It's not really going to help increase demand, which in turn will actually lead to more deflation; if one takes a look at the most recent charts released by the Fed, one can see that the rate of inflation has hit a plateau. We are right to fear deflation; why cut everything?

This is a skewed view... and the NYT is also assuming that consumer response to fiscal policy will have a stronger lasting effect than other alternatives; unfortunately, the truth is that government/Fed policy and actions or direct injections into the economy would lead to more long term gain.

In fact, even if the NYT actions proposed here would cut the deficit, they would not help the economy and would probably send us into a second recession. What there should be a focus on is increasing loaning in the form of the purchasing of less liquid but more risky securities on the part of the Fed, which will keep the federal funds rate steady but increase consumer confidence and thereby increasing spending and loaning, which affects two sectors of the economy.

Slashing everything without thinking of anything else is an extremely skewed view of how to fix the economy. And here I thought NYT was an unbiased company. :p

Anyway, the only things I agree with are cutting foreign aid, cutting farm subsidies, reducing the presence in Iraq and Afghanistan (the Canadian Defense Ministry reports that for every Afghani death, 3-5 new Taliban members are created), and eliminating loopholes. Taxes should be kept the same though, and to be honest right now leading indicators are pretty strong... and the GDP for the past few months has shown exceptional growth. What's the NYT doing releasing this now?

[Morm]

Is legalizing marijuana and then taxing the fuck out of it an option?

[killazys]

Originally Posted by Fat Kitten Bukkake

Is legalizing marijuana and then taxing the fuck out of it an option?

Very good idea