Blame Obama (First Budget Surplus in 42 months)

[Sedulous]

It looks like the GOP will have to find a way to blame Obama for the first budget surplus in 42 months. It is only a matter of time until they say this is proof that taxes should be cut.

link

[CorvusCamenarum]

The government typically runs a budget surplus in April, when most Americans pay their income taxes. The government has been in the black in 44 of 58 Aprils since records have been kept.

Seems more of an expected blip than anything else.

[Sedulous]

Originally Posted by CorvusCamenarum

Seems more of an expected blip than anything else.

It is an election year. Everything will get spun.

[thewitt]

This is all smoke and mirrors. There is no surplus. It's all accounting tricks.

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by Sedulous

It is an election year.

Good point it's an election year. Cook the books to make it look like you have a budget surplus until after the election.

[leekohler]

Originally Posted by thewitt

This is all smoke and mirrors. There is no surplus. It's all accounting tricks.

Proof please. Or are we just supposed to believe this because you say so?

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by leekohler

Proof please. Or are we just supposed to believe this because you say so?

Proof will be available when it's too late.

[Raid]

While I don't think accounting 'tricks' are involved, one months surplus doesn't mean anything is getting better; it's just a positive sign.

What's more worrisome is that the situation is so bad the reports of government monthly expenses make the news. What would be even more dangerous would be to use this surplus as an excuse for the US to slow/stop cuts or the increase of taxes.

[Zombie Acorn]

Regardless of whether this is accounting tricks, normal, etc. One should ask why government is not spending the money more efficiently while the economy is still on the lurch.

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by Zombie Acorn

Regardless of whether this is accounting tricks, normal, etc. One should ask why government is not spending the money more efficiently while the economy is still on the lurch.

Good point, when the government wants to spend money more efficiently they create a whole new agency to cut budgets and create better spending plans. The problem is that the new agency cost more than the savings in general.

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

Originally Posted by thewitt

This is all smoke and mirrors. There is no surplus. It's all accounting tricks.

Originally Posted by ericrwalker

Good point it's an election year. Cook the books to make it look like you have a budget surplus until after the election.

So, let's be clear about this. There has been an uptick in the economy and tax revenue (in a good year, you expect people to owe/pay more taxes right now).

Bottom line: are you happy the economy is improving, or, not?

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by jnpy!$4g3cwk

So, let's be clear about this. There has been an uptick in the economy and tax revenue (in a good year, you expect people to owe/pay more taxes right now).

Bottom line: are you happy the economy is improving, or, not?

I will be happy when the economy starts to improve.

EDIT: or when these numbers start moving backwards I will be happy. http://www.usdebtclock.org/

[Queen of Spades]

Crazy that some people would rather see Obama fail than the economy improve.

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by Queen of Spades

Crazy that some people would rather see Obama fail than the economy improve.

Actually, everyone wants to see the economy improve. Just some of us see his agenda has harmful to the economy. So his agenda failing is the same as the economy improving.

[mcrain]

Originally Posted by ericrwalker

I will be happy when the economy starts to improve.

EDIT: or when these numbers start moving backwards I will be happy. http://www.usdebtclock.org/

The debt numbers did start going backwards, then people elected GWB who enacted EXACTLY the type of policies that Romney is advocating.

Originally Posted by ericrwalker

Actually, everyone wants to see the economy improve. Just some of us see his agenda has harmful to the economy. So his agenda failing is the same as the economy improving.

The economy started improving within a few months of the current President being inaugurated. Can you imagine how much better off we would be today if the Republicans didn't block everything he tried.

By the way, next time you hear Romney talk about Obama's "failed" policies, ask yourself, what policies they are talking about. They are responsible for a lack of action on many, many things, so you have to wonder, what things did he take action on that are failed?

The auto bailout worked. Healthcare Reform hasn't caused the economy to stall, and millions of people are already using it reducing the overall cost of healthcare in the US. In addition, every estimate I have seen has overturning healthcare costing the US billions, while keeping it saves billions. We are less dependant on foreign energy; we are finally enforcing our rights to oil and gas royalties; taxes are still at GWB-GOP levels.

What is the GOP responsible for? Lowering of credit rating. Blocking jobs bills, debt negotiations, basically everything else.

If Obama's policies are failing, it isn't because they don't work, but because they haven't been enacted. If the GOP wanted to run on his policies being bad, they should have let them come to the floor of the Senate for votes, and touted any failures there, then touted any failures after being enacted.

The fear they had was that success would doom them, and their main goal has always been to defeat Obama.