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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stan J. Czernel who wrote (83458)	9/10/2008 10:57:05 PM
From: Steve Lokness	Respond to of 542907

Stan; Look, all any administration can do is generate a surplus, which can be used for many things - including paying down the Debt But we haven't gotten to the place where we have a surplus yet - as much as politicians might like you to think that. You will get to a surplus AFTER you pay all the bills - including interest on the debt we already have. Did you look at the accumualted debt on the chart? It hasn't gone down even for one year for decades now. If you throw out what the government must pay for interest, then sure it is easy to say we have a surplus - but as the chart clearly shows, that doesn't mean your budget is even balanced. Let me explain again, because I know I've done a terrible job. When Bill Clinton ran what you say is a surplus, he indeed took in more money that he spent on the bills - in that you are correct. But Clinton - like every administration - is also liable for the accumulated debt AND the interest on the debt. Once he paid the interest figure he no longer had a surplus but a deficit. Sooooooo, once all the bills that had to be paid were paid, there was no money left so he couldn't pay down the debt nor could he spend on other programs. But then it is Congress that decides what to pay - not Clinton nor any president. steve