Has anybody seen this: National Budget Simulation

[T Roosevelt]

Welcome to the National Budget Simulation!

This simple simulation should give you a better feel of the trade-offs which policy makers need to make in creating federal budgets and dealing with deficits.

The National Budget Simulation, originally a project of UC-Berkeley's Center for Community Economic Research, is now hosted at NathanNewman.org. It was created by Nathan Newman and Anders Schneiderman.

http://www.budgetsim.org/nbs/

[LanternWaste]

1. "You have cut the deficit by $311.92 billion."

Woo-hoo!

"You have cut the deficit by $311.92 billion."

And that was after increasing medical, science, welfare and education spending!

Lantern Waste for President in 2004! Live it, learn it, love it...

lol


edited for lack of creativity

[Hawkeye-X]

2. Eliminate Iraq War.

And save $150B!

(It's not current either!)

I cut nearly 70% of the military and increased all social benefits, including health, education, science, space, etc, also repealed the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts... and I managed to ... ta... da..

Budget Totals
Old budget was $3251.488 billion
($2264.172 billion in spending, $987.316 billion in tax expenditures and cuts).

New budget is $3124.57 billion
($2175.34 billion in spending, $949.23 billion in tax expenditures and cuts).

You have cut the deficit by $126.92 billion.
Your new deficit is $230.08 billion.

Hawkeye-X

[ixion]

3. You have cut the deficit by $357.97 billion.

Gee, that was a cinch.

Budget Totals
Old budget was $3274.734 billion
($2292.807 billion in spending, $981.927 billion in tax expenditures and cuts).
New budget is $2916.76 billion
($2058.38 billion in spending, $858.38 billion in tax expenditures and cuts).

You have cut the deficit by $357.97 billion.
Your new deficit is $-0.96 billion.

[Hawkeye-X]

4. What'd you do?

I've repealed the tax cuts, essentially cut 70% of the military (which is already a fat budget), and increased the social needs and stuff.

Hawkeye-X

[ixion]

5. yep, I did much the same thing

Increased spending for Education, Health and Human services and cut the military budget. Also, I eliminated the cost of Iraq, because if I were president, we wouldn't be there. ;-)

on edit: oh yeah, I cut the Administration of Justice budget as well, because I would eliminate the War on Drugs and Terror, too.

[avtho]

6. Thanks! I have been looking for this

Long ago in the old DOS days, someone had a program like this where you could do your own budget. Now I can play again.

[German-Lefty]

7. Eliminate Military Spending

Your new deficit is $-42.15 billion.

Oops!
You've cut so much that the federal budget now contains a substantial surplus. Many economists warn that this budget may help induce or prolong a recession, and ordinary citizens demand a refund. You might want to cut taxes or raise spending.

Many economists are wrong! We should pay down the debt.

[swinney]

8. Budget Simulation is terrific for playing games.

It is connfusing.

Budget is 2200B in round numbers.

Deficit wil be projected 500B.

This means that Revenues will be 1700 B.

Reduce Expenditures or Increase Revenues.

Increase revenues by eliminating Bush stupid Tax Giveaways.

That is biggie.

Reduce costs. Look at Bar Chart in Red.

Attack the long ones. Military Spending-Social Security-Medicare.

Attack spending by going to TOP DOWN listing. Do not waste effort on itsy bitsy's.

In the Discretionary Budget there is only--only--only one--place to save meaningful money by cutting.

It is military which is over 50% of discretionary.
The remainers are little individual ones.

A 10% cut in military is equivalent to total spending on most discretionary programs.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-OUR MAIN PROGRAM IS MILITARY SPENDING. MILITARY SPENDING. SIMPLE. CLEAR. OBVIOUS.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE ARE HUGH MANDATED PROGRAMS.

WE SPEND 1400B ON HEALTH CARE IN USA. NO OTHER NATION SPENDS OVER 900B. MOST SPEND LESS THAN ONE HALF AS MUCH AS USA.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE COULD TAKE US DOWN TO 900B TO SAVE 500B EASILY.

NO AMIAGO! WE WOULD NOT LOSE QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE. NO. NO.NO.

PHARMACEUTICAL PROFITEERS AND HEALTH PROVIDERS WOULD LOSE THEIR HUGH SALARIES.
[e-mail]

[PROGRESSIVE1]

9. You have cut the deficit by $270.28 billion.

and that was with a 50% increase in veterans benifits and substantial increases in education and health spending too.

I erased the Bush Tax Cut of 2001 and 2003 and cut pork from the military budget and government waste!

Your new deficit is $86.72 billion.


I should be the White House Budget Advisor!

[InkAddict]

10. In addition, I propose :

a new selective tax be implemented immediately on the earned and unearned income of current US government officials to include Selected, VP-Crash-cart, appointed Cabinet members and WH staff members, and all voting members of Congress, both Repukes/Dems, for the rest of their bloody lives, who supported, participated, and voted to hand over their constitutional duties on behalf and in the service of that padded-crotchety Commander-in-Thief moron! (Please note, that while the Office of Presidency is to be respected, I believe that the previous one eliminated the obligation of requisite respect to the person holding that position - the difference being personal lies that were merely entertaining to our purient voyeurism versus inter-national lies that led us to war without consensus).

Proceeds of said tax shall be placed in a perpetual irrevocable trust, under UN fiduciary control, for the benefit of the Iraqi people, the interest of which shall be payable once a new government has been founded by constitution and a minimum of five years of elections have produced a autonomous Iraqi nation, at the request of the Head of State, as a supplement to their budget in support of housing, health, education, environment, of the Iraqui people. The interest shall be paid as one amount, as requested, yearly by the Iraqi Head of State, and the payment shall be accompanied by a letter of sincere apology from those taxpayers assessed, along with a reminder that Iraqi liberation/democracy wasn't free, and they should use this token of atonement wisely and be ever vigilent in monitoring their freedoms in the future so that, early on, leaders who usurp power and liberties and commit crimes against the people of Iraq, can be removed, democratically of course.

It might be a drop in the bucket, but it would be something, after
American military is withdrawn and once global bidding contracts to rebuild are fairly let to rebuild what our bombs have destroyed and for allowing rumor, lies, and Special Interest White Papers to influence America's actions.

Oh well, one can dream that it's a perfect world - until OSAMA and HUSSEIN are apprehended and meet their fate. :P