# News Psssttt, the deficit's shrinking

1. Jan 21, 2005

### phatmonky

http://www.nationalreview.com/kudlow/kudlow200501131420.asp [Broken]

I know this won't be popular here. I know my source will be attacked, but the numbers are there for you to view...

Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2017
2. Jan 21, 2005

### Burnsys

US DEBT: $7,618,664,432,856.82 and climbing The National Debt has continued to increase an average of$2.12 billion per day since September 30, 2004!

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

The following graph shows how the National Debt has grown year by year since 1940 in actual dollar amounts, uncorrected for inflation:

Last edited by a moderator: Apr 21, 2017
3. Jan 21, 2005

### mattmns

Lets just hope it continues to shrink.

4. Jan 21, 2005

### phatmonky

Absolutely. A debt pay down is needed eventually, but this must all be done at a moderate pace. I am glad to see things going in the right direction, although, I'm high dissapointed in some of the pork barrel occuring at this date and time.

5. Jan 21, 2005

### phatmonky

Is this supposed to refute my post or something? Please add some opinion so I know your point.

Last edited by a moderator: Apr 21, 2017
6. Jan 21, 2005

### Locrian

I have a hard time getting too excited over one month change in net deficit, after years of growing deficits. The republicans who cost us $500+ billion dollars due to a repulsive medicare package are still in office, and hearing they are going to refuse inflationary increases in veterans benefits and science programs somehow doesn't make me feel any better. I'd rather have my$'s going to scientifc research than pharmaceutical companies any day.

It's just pathetic that all we have to be proud of is that, if one month's changes continue, we'll be under $400 billion dollars deficit in a year. Of course, the OP's statements about how you won't see this in the news are a good point too. If it were Kerry they were swearing in the other day, the media would be flaunting this news as proof of his wisdom and righteousness. 7. Jan 21, 2005 ### selfAdjoint Staff Emeritus The deficit is the size of this month's bill. It may be smaller than last month's, but it's still big. And it still gets added to the overall debt, which therefore still grows. Capisce? 8. Jan 21, 2005 ### Aquamarine 9. Jan 21, 2005 ### wasteofo2 Phatmonky, praythee; at this rate, when will we have a surplus again? Will it be by the end of Bush's Presidency? 10. Jan 22, 2005 ### vanesch Staff Emeritus Yes, that's what I made also of this first post. US deficit is none of my business, but it reminds me of a famous statement of a Belgian prime minister in the beginning of the 1980ies: "the increase of the increase of the deficit is lowering" :rofl: (for connaisseurs: it was PM Wilfried Martens). This really struck me: politicians were discovering the conceptual meaning of "second derivative" :rofl: Last edited: Jan 22, 2005 11. Jan 22, 2005 ### selfAdjoint Staff Emeritus Yeah, economists call it the margin of the margin. Anything for a mystique. 12. Jan 22, 2005 ### Dissident Dan [sarcasm]Wow,$11 billion, that's ever-so-rapidly decreasing.[/sarcasm]

Also remember that this is after bush's huge deficit increases. A decrease is the least that we could hope for.

13. Jan 22, 2005

### Gokul43201

Staff Emeritus
Well, I'm glad something's turning around at last ! It's been high time, wot ?

(I can only imagine the sheer joy Mr. Kudlow must have been experiencing during this announcement ! - not an attack, okay ?)

14. Jan 22, 2005

### spender

Wait untill usa/israel attacks Iran or Syria,deficit then will soar to the new heights.

15. Jan 22, 2005

### loseyourname

Staff Emeritus
According to the numbers up top, the deficit is currently at $355 billion, shrinking at a rate of$44 billion per year. If it continued shrinking at exactly that rate, it would take 8 1/2 years to see a surplus. However, if federal spending continues to decrease as the economy improves and tax revenues increase, it would happen much sooner. It wouldn't be impossible to see a surplus by the end of Bush's term. I wouldn't exactly expect it, though, based on a very short-term trend alone.

16. Jan 22, 2005

### wasteofo2

What would you expect the budget defecit to be by the end of Bush's term? Would you care to at least wager if it'll be more or less than it was when he started his second term?

17. Jan 23, 2005

Staff Emeritus
I'm going to start a poll on this.

18. Jan 23, 2005

### phatmonky

I'm aware of that, and that has nothing to do with refuting my post, which is why I asked for clarification, that I'm still not getting.

19. Jan 23, 2005

### wasteofo2

Your point is correct, the defecit is shrinking. The points others have been making, however, is that it isn't that big of a deal, since we're still running a HUGE budget defecit and have massive debt regardless.

20. Jan 25, 2005

### Staff: Mentor

Hey, Yo! The budget deficit is NOT shrinking afterall!

Heard a report this morning that the White House is asking for $80 billion for this year on top of what they have already requested. So there goes the$11 billion decrease. The official numbers will not be available until the president releases the formal budget request, which is supposed to happen on February 7.

AND, the current deficit projections do not include a request to repeal the estate tax - which would greatly increase the loss of revenue to the Treasury.

For information - see Congressional Budget Office

Last edited: Jan 25, 2005