YOU fix the Budget!!--A Game

[IBCoupe]

I'm looking back over mine, and I cut spending to military projects and naval fleets because I figured I should be giving my own pound of flesh with everyone else.

...But I didn't really have to.

[mattblancarte]

We don't live in a dictatorship so I made sure there were some extra things there. You and I can see that a "give and take" on such items can lead to compromises and accomplish the goals; too bad Congress has been bought off to the point they don't.

First I was like then I was like

Damn legislative branch. This form game makes fixing the budget seem trivial...

One thing I noticed was different about yours, IB, is that you have a declining surplus. I wonder how that would trend out to 2050, or if that is even relevant.

I'm enjoying this thread.

[USsil80]

one cut i didn't see is the cost of what our elected officials spend while serving us.. that would cure alot... no planes for them to ride back and forth to here and there... no use of government moneys/services while campaigning.... cuts should also happen inside DC as well as out

[heliochrome85]

one cut i didn't see is the cost of what our elected officials spend while serving us.. that would cure alot... no planes for them to ride back and forth to here and there... no use of government moneys/services while campaigning.... cuts should also happen inside DC as well as out

talk about negligable costs. that would be akin to switching brands of paper in us government copiers. one fighter jet alone probably costs about as much as it does to take care of the president's transport needs for a year.

[USsil80]

one fighter jet makes it possible for you to say that... and that would be the cost of a new jet... the date night he and his wife took to NYC cost alot more than 24k... they had all 3 helicopters there... about a dozen limos... countless military personnel... plus the jets etc etc etc... i don't care if you are the prez... that is just wasteful.. and before you say "BUSH DID IT".. i believe he just went to his ranch or camp david... though i think that for the years that anyone takes office should be that of service not "hey i get to do this now"

[heliochrome85]

yeah. you are totally right. he should have used priceline.com and named his own price for that rental car. whatever. its still peanuts.


you also forget that he cancelled development of a new Marine One for the reasons you specified. Plus, where is the talk of an upgraded Air Force One? The current vc-25s that are used were produced in the late 80s/early 90s. ultimately, when you are talking a deficit of billions, that the government has an expense account for travel is relatively inconsequential.

[heliochrome85]

oh, and according to wikipedia, that trip you mentioned was in a G5 which is one of the most fuel efficient planes in the sky. not the traditional VC-25 which he could have used as well. Same thing with his trip to maine this summer. That was a Gulfstream G3.

would you rather him fly up in the 747? or would you rather him just buy a ticket on american airlines?

[mattblancarte]

I prefer the President have as much support when he travels as his professional military and civilian staff deem necessary. If Obama wants to take the jumbo jet, he should take the jumbo jet. He's the CEO of the USA... he needs to feel like it to get deals done. No complaints here.

Factoid: When the 747 Air Force One goes on a mission, they fly an identical 747 aircraft that is ready to assume the role of Air Force One if necessary.

I agree with Tariq. The POTUS' travel expenses aren't relevant on the budget scale we're working with.

[IBCoupe]

One thing I noticed was different about yours, IB, is that you have a declining surplus. I wonder how that would trend out to 2050, or if that is even relevant.

I noticed that, too, Matt. But being that 2030 is still 20 years away, I don't trust Congress to leave anything alone until then. I don't expect that we won't have large military expenditures (maybe another war or two - but then again, maybe we'll actually raise taxes to pay for them like we used to do) not accounted for in those calculations. I don't trust my relatively small surplus in 2030 to remain a surplus in 2030.

My estimation is that in 10 years the game is going to be fundamentally different - our relationship to the rest of the world and our domestic population profile - so that trying to budget for 20 years out is a fool's errand. I'm pleased with the short-term progress, and I'm happy to make more difficult decisions as necessary.

[IBCoupe]

I just did some quick & dirty estimations... My surplus drops from $109B to $70B over 15 years, or about 2.39% per year. So, to answer your question: if we can base a rate off of these two data points, my surplus in 2050 should be about $18B. The surplus would be starting its deficit trend in 2058 (a mid-term election year, if anybody's keeping track).