Usually I blog my flaming social liberal side - here's my grumpy fiscal conservative side

[essentialsaltes]

This image encapsulates what's wrong with the government's fiscal policy:


For a less funny analysis, check out Time's article on the deficit.

Let's look more closely at budget revenue and outlays. In a normal year, our federal tax system takes in around 17% of GDP — less in the current recession and more in years of financial bubbles, when capital-gains-tax collections are high. It's important to understand what that revenue buys us. Military spending accounts for around 5% of GDP. Health spending (including Medicare, Medicaid and veterans' health) is around 5% of GDP, as is Social Security (retirement, disability and veterans' benefits). Interest payments on the debt will soon reach 2% of GDP. In short, the Federal Government collects tax revenue sufficient to cover just four budget items. The rest of the budget is funded by borrowing.

Assuming we want the government to do something other than these four things, this is not sustainable. We need to cut expenditures, or raise revenues, or both. That is all.

Comments

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Just to bloviate further, a crude-yet-eerily-accurate picture of our political parties shows that one side of the aisle is "Think of the Children" (do not want to cut expenditures) while the other is "Read My Lips" (do not want to raise revenue). All too often the 'compromise' is:

Hey, everybody (i.e. the electorate) likes services. Let's keep services!
Hey, everybody (i.e. the electorate) likes tax cuts. Let's cut taxes!

High fives all around the Capitol.