Secret Budget Deficit

    Posted by dylan398 on 5th of Nov 2008 at 08:17 am

    Has anyone else heard of this?? I've heard a couple of congressmen talk say lately if the public knew of the "real" deficit they'd panic...anyone else have info on this?? 

    Secret budget

    Posted by duke_and_duke on 5th of Nov 2008 at 09:16 am

    -suspect they're referring to unfunded entitlement liabilities for Social Security and Medicare - its a big number

    -- this is also a big issue for every Stae and Municaplity as well -- unlike the private sector, Governement pesnions and healthcare benefits must be paid as a matter of law - which is not the case for Social Security by the way

    yes i heard that on

    Posted by dowjones4k on 5th of Nov 2008 at 09:02 am

    yes i heard that on fox news this am.  both a blue dog dem and a repub said it!

    secret budget deficit

    Posted by parrrich on 5th of Nov 2008 at 09:00 am

    I belive they may also be referring to how the governemnt lies to us about the real statistics.  Take a look at websites like www.shadowstats.comand www.nowandfutures.com.  The governement also doesn't include a lot of "off balance sheet" items like Afganastan and Iraq and social security, etc.

    secret budget deficits

    Posted by rgoodwin on 5th of Nov 2008 at 09:35 am

    Obama said he is go to be TRANSPARENT so we shold start to see the REAL numbers beginning in Jan/Feb. Whatdaya think?

    Two chances of that. slim

    Posted by parrrich on 5th of Nov 2008 at 09:38 am

    Two chances of that. slim and none, and slim just left.

    seems like the banks aren't

    Posted by dylan398 on 5th of Nov 2008 at 09:10 am

    seems like the banks aren't the only ones that need to clean up their balance sheets...what would happen if the US gov't had to "mark to market" what would our credit rating be then??

    Title: National Debt I am guessing

    Posted by peterwelsh on 5th of Nov 2008 at 08:28 am
    Title: National Debt

    thanks for correcting me.....yes, our

    Posted by dylan398 on 5th of Nov 2008 at 08:51 am

    thanks for correcting me.....yes, our childern's, children...will be paying the VIG on that for a long time.....when I hear some of Pelosi's plans my stomache turns....

    As unemplyment grows in this recession, so will the tax receipts the gov't will receive...what a wasteful last 8 years have been with relatively low unemployment and low interest rates..

    What I also can't figure out is why auto's are too big too fail?? They've systematically let entire industries such as steel, garment..etc fail in the name of free trade....meanwhile the US worker has become more service oriented and complacent..what's next a "bailout" for silicon valley....US needs new industry...

    dylan:  Autos are the might of

    Posted by paige386 on 5th of Nov 2008 at 09:20 am

    dylan: 

    Autos are the might of American manufacturing. That is what won WWII we could produce things faster than they could destroy them. In this envoironment we could let Chrysler go but Ford and GM have to hang around.

    WWII was 70 years ago.....the

    Posted by dylan398 on 5th of Nov 2008 at 09:44 am

    WWII was 70 years ago.....the might is gone...they build an inferior product at an expensive price....they let airlines go BK....the let steel mills go BK......the government can't fix what's wrong with the Auto industry......start builing superior cars at a cheaper price...and people will buy them.....JMHO

    "start builing superior cars at

    Posted by duke_and_duke on 5th of Nov 2008 at 10:11 am

    "start builing superior cars at a cheaper price...and people will buy them.....JMHO"

    or inferior cars

    - have read that Ford's European fuel-efficient models would do well here, but they can't bring them to the US market because they don't meet Gov't Regulations on Safety - interesting.

    the "main" problem with the

    Posted by dylan398 on 5th of Nov 2008 at 10:14 am

    the "main" problem with the US car is perception....the resale value stinks....If I give you a choice of buying two objects @ the same price ...even if the quality is the same....and I tell you one will be worth more a lot more than the other in 4 years..which one will you choose??

    ener

    Posted by harold on 5th of Nov 2008 at 11:35 am

    The main problem with american car comapnies is exemplified by GM - they had the best electric car technoloy in the world and because of good old american hubris they fought the CARB because they weren't going to be told what to do by governement "gal damnit". So what did they do. They sold the lithium battery patent to TEXACO who sat on it for years (good 'ol efficent capitalism at work! - they never consire against the consumer!) before the inventor Stanford R. Ovshinsky could come up with a new version and this time keep it himself (see his company symbol:ENER).

    GM literally destroyed their market advantage by crushing every one of their EV1's and destroying their R&D and selling it to companies who would sit on it and not bring it to market (on purpose!)

    GM like all the US manufacturers self destructed because of a corpoate culture that has existed in this country since the depression. It is a short sighted bonus driven profits above all else view that creates junk.

    Only wwII and the mass employment need of the war change that corupt culture.

    But our industrial base was eroding in the 1960's anyway before any jobs were sent overseas. The steel industry was in shambles, car manufacturers where under assult from imports, we switched from being the worlds creditor to being the world's debtor and that's why Nixon took us off the gold standard.

    Only wwII and the mass employment need of the war change that corupt culture.

    American corporate culture needs to be revisited if our economy is to be rebuilt.Most EV1 engineers went to Telsa Motors - Check it out. They are building an amazing car.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our email list for regular free market updates
as well as a chance to get coupons!