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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jackhach who wrote (506041)	12/8/2003 3:05:55 PM
From: bentway	Respond to of 769670

<The National Debt, if you understand economics, under Clinton dropped off WITH ZERO help from raiding the SSTF. In addition, the Budget Surplus that was created would have properly funded Social Security beyond its current levels.> I think this was what caused the booming '90's of the Clinton years. Businesses responded to fiscal sanity in government and grew. It got overheated, and bubbled, but started from a solid base. The Bushies don't get this, or just don't care.

To: jackhach who wrote (506041)	12/8/2003 3:50:05 PM
From: willcousa	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769670

There is no trust fund. If you can find one I'll give it to you. What you will find is a bunch of IOU's from the genral fund.

To: jackhach who wrote (506041)	12/8/2003 4:47:49 PM
From: Oeconomicus	Respond to of 769670

Oh so clever opening line, jackass. You obviously haven't been paying attention. The SSTF is a "set-aside" which is funded purely through payroll deductions -- not income tax. None of the wealthy pay anything beyond the threshold into it. It IS NOT part of the general treasury. I'm the one who's been trying to explain to the moronic lefties here who want to cut "payroll taxes" that they'd be bankrupting the SSTF sooner. But you'd be wrong if you think current period "surpluses" in SS are not counted as a reduction in the federal deficit. They are - ask the CBO. As for this nonsense about "collateral... not actual funds" the SSTF can only invest the money it collects in government securities. Cash comes in to SS from payroll deductions, then it goes back out to the treasury in exchange for paper. The SSTF isn't "collateral" for debt, it holds debt. As for Clinton reducing the portion of the debt financed with SS, the percentage of the federal debt held by federal government trust funds (primarily SS) rose from 30% to 40% in Clinton's second term. And your claim that national debt "dropped off" under Clinton is complete BS. Take a look: publicdebt.treas.gov Finally, as for Gore's campaign buzz-word "lock-box", it was just that - a meaningless buzz-word. The fact is the government spends the money in the SSTF for other things, putting an IOU into the "lock-box" in place of the cash. It was a meaningless buzz-word when house republicans proposed legislation to "lock up" SS surpluses, it was a meaningless buzz-word when senate democrats killed the legislation, it was a meaningless buzz-word when Gore spouted it, it's a meaningless buzz-word now, and until my money goes into my own lock-box and I hold the only key, that's all it will be.