CBO: Obamacare will cost $104 Billion less than projected.

[Lenonis]

If you're comparing deficits between Presidents, it's inaccurate to compare one President's deficit spending that is recouped by another.

If the budget is projected to cause a $500 deficit in a year due to carryover of programs and the president intervenes to eliminate some of that spending to reduce the deficit to $250, why can that president not take credit for that?

I'm still not understanding. (And I'm not trying to be dense...I'm just not following your logic).

To me this is like saying you should put all welfare spending under FDR regardless of any changes made to the program since then.

[Felya]

If you're comparing deficits between Presidents, it's inaccurate to compare one President's deficit spending that is recouped by another. TARP was responsible for $151B of deficit spending in fiscal year 2009, but in 2010 and 2011 $147B of that amount was recouped under Obama.

If you want to compare deficits between Presidents, either exclude TARP since it spans multiple Presidencies, or attribute the entire TARP to one or the other.

TARP was part of the spending deficit, until it was cut in half. Even paying back the spent money, does not change the deficit. Because the money still has to be spent to be recouped. When the money is paid back, it doesn't go on the current or past deficit, but on the debt created by the deficit.

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The discussion has nothing to do with popular votes, or Obama. It has to do with PRE911 asking why he should care about people who disprove of the ACA who are ignorant of what the law is and does.

He should care because they vote, and their representatives have influence.

They go to Congress with a mandate from their constituents to "repeal Obamacare." That's why you should care.

Popular vote is the only vote that reflects a national pole. National poles, do not reflect state voting, because they are done nationally. The president, is the only representative we vote for nationally, like these poles are. With these national poles not reflecting national voting, comparing them to any vote is pointless. National constituency does not coincide with national poling of ACA... What you are saying could be true on state poling, but not national. It simply wasn't...

The discussion was comparing deficits. It remains inaccurate.

The repayments go to pay the debt, not on the deficit... The deficit does not change based on paying back, the debt does... Cutting the spending, cut the actual deficit, because the money that you are talking about being paid back, are never spent to appear on the deficit...

[Tinykong]

Popular vote is the only vote that reflects a national pole. National poles, do not reflect state voting, because they are done nationally. The president, is the only representative we vote for nationally, like these poles are. With these national poles not reflecting national voting, comparing them to any vote is pointless. National constituency does not coincide with national poling of ACA... What you are saying could be true on state poling, but not national. It simply wasn't...

You haven't been reading. There was no comparison to any vote or poll. Merely the notion that you should care what the public thinks because the public elects members of Congress.

TARP was part of the spending deficit, until it was cut in half. Even paying back the spent money, does not change the deficit. Because the money still has to be spent to be recouped. When the money is paid back, it doesn't go on the current or past deficit, but on the debt created by the deficit.

TARP funds didn't come directly from the Treasury.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brianwin...e-the-deficit/

"So what happened to the repayments? According to Kristine Belisle, a spokeswoman for TARP’s Special Inspector General (i.e. the program’s watchdog), prior to the Wall Street Reform Act that President Obama signed in July , the government could re-use any principal amount that was lent out through the TARP program. However, interest and dividend payments could not be re-used. Since then, interest, dividend and principal payments have gone to deficit reduction."

The repayments go to pay the debt, not on the deficit... The deficit does not change based on paying back, the debt does... Cutting the spending, cut the actual deficit, because the money that you are talking about being paid back, are never spent to appear on the deficit...

See above. At this point, we're going to derail the thread. Feel free to send anything else via PM.

[ugotownd]

Got to love democrats. Were saving 104 billion like its a big deal when it cost over 1.3 TRILLION. Figures that there all over the CBO now when back in Feb the CBO said negative things about obamacare they were evil an shouldn't be listened to AMAZING. Guess we will all have to wait a week or two when the insurance companies release there quarter figures an see how much the 2015 rates go up.

Projected rates mean nothing when was the last time any government idea came in under or at budget.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Considering rates have been climbing 10-15% every year for decades, I can't wait for a 7% hike in rates to be called a skyrocket due to Obamacare. That's going to be a funny thread.

[Masark]

when was the last time any government idea came in under or at budget.

Sometime around the last time something from a major corporation came in at or under budget with the same specs as you started with. And let's just leave off whether it was on schedule or not.

[Elegiac]

Projected rates mean nothing when was the last time any government idea came in under or at budget.

Government is not a business. There is not really any reason why it has to generate a surplus of income.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Considering the most inefficient parts of government spending are when they contract out to private companies to do the work for them...

Military equipment, medical, disaster relief, construction, all contracted out largely to private companies and all over budget and late.

Meanwhile most of the actual things handled internally run at cost efficient levels and quickly.

That actually sounds like a reason to cut private companies out of government and expand government programs that are currently organized by government but handled by private companies.

[Masark]

Considering the most inefficient parts of government spending are when they contract out to private companies to do the work for them...

Military equipment, medical, disaster relief, construction, all contracted out largely to private companies and all over budget and late.

Meanwhile most of the actual things handled internally run at cost efficient levels and quickly.

That actually sounds like a reason to cut private companies out of government and expand government programs that are currently organized by government but handled by private companies.

I find it interesting we both posted much the same reply at roughly the same time in two different threads

[mvaliz]

Got to love democrats.

/snip

Projected rates mean nothing when was the last time any government idea came in under or at budget.

Under Clinton - a Democrat

I take it you were either too young or in a coma to be aware of the 90s?

[satimy]

Under Clinton - a Democrat

I take it you were either too young or in a coma to be aware of the 90s?

Clinton took money out of social security to pay off the deficit the 2 years that there was a "surplus". His deficits were miles better than Reagan, Bush, Bush Jr and Obama though.

[xenogear3]

Clinton took money out of social security to pay off the deficit the 2 years that there was a "surplus". His deficits were miles better than Reagan, Bush, Bush Jr and Obama though.

Clinton took money out of social security to pay off the deficit
You should say debt instead of deficit.
Or the forum police will get you.

If you're not familiar with the difference between "deficit" and "debt", this might not be the topic for you.

His deficits were miles better
Ok, you used deficit correct here. See it is not too hard.

This is not just a video game forum with no life WoW players.
It is full with medical doctors, lawyers and stock analysts.
They are watching you.

[Tinykong]

It just needs to be stated that $104B is a lot of money. Offhand napkin math says thats like ~5% of total income tax receipts.

[Masark]

Clinton took money out of social security to pay off the deficit the 2 years that there was a "surplus".

That didn't start with Clinton. The social security fund has been backdoored into the general fund via securities purchases since some time before him.