Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : The Residential Real Estate Crash Index -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ChanceIs who wrote (90228)	9/24/2007 9:24:01 AM
From: KyrosL	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

Clinton's last year did come with a few billion of an operational surplus. A couple more years of Clinton-like governance would have produced an operational surplus for the first time in a couple of generations. But, the key metric is debt as a percent of GDP. Under Clinton that metric dropped substantially.

To: ChanceIs who wrote (90228)	9/24/2007 10:21:18 AM
From: Mary Cluney	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

Currently, there continues to be a surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund. More money is being collected than paid out. The difference goes into the Trust Fund. The US government borrows from the Trust Fund to help cover the budget deficit. The Fund is projected to grow until 2025 when expenses are expected to exceed income. Money accrued in the Trust Fund will then be needed to make up the difference. If nothing is done, the Trust Fund will be depleted by about 2050 (according to the CBO). If a Republican Administration and a Republican Congress is elected in 2008 and they manage the Trust Fund as they have since 2000, Social Security will go bust. No queston about that. However, the Clinton Administration(1992-2000) has shown that they can manage the economy to perform better and may allow the Trust Fund to remain solvent indefinitely. In the worst case minor adjustments can be made to maintain the Trust Fund. Alan Greenspan (don’t forget that he is the original John Galt and self professed Republican) has even said as much in his just published autobiography. In 2008 we have a choice.

To: ChanceIs who wrote (90228)	9/24/2007 11:23:58 AM
From: Lizzie Tudor	Respond to of 306849

Chancels I think we all understand that here (although many don't I am sure). But you need to find a way to judge fiscal responsibility and an artificial surplus based on projections is as good as any. In the last year of the Clinton term there was actually an operational surplus I believe. You need a way to judge fiscal responsibility because if you just say "well there never was a surplus" then that gives Bush a license to do what he has done which is pork his way into office and spend with abandon with no accountability whatsoever and act like "it doesn't matter". Its all shades of grey but from my perspective clinton was a light grey and bush is almost black in terms of budget management. I can almost guarantee you that Hillary will win a lot of fiscally conservative votes.... this is something the right wing does not expect- the fiscal conservatives want a return to Clinton-nomics.