Does the Deficit Matter?

[ugabuga]

Gov't Aid to Small Business: Good or Evil?

Gov't Aid to Small Business: Good or Evil?

Senate Republicans on Thursday rejected a bill to aid small businesses with expanded loan programs and tax breaks.

The Dems said the bill would stimulate the economy.
The Repubs said it would hurt the economy by adding to the deficit.

The bill was supported by the US Chamber of Commerce.

60 votes were needed to advance the bill; final tally was 58-42
All Dems voted yes.
All Repubs voted no.

Which is more important, whatever stimulus the bill might provide, or the added deficit $?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/us/politics/30cong.html?ref=politics

 

[ugabuga]

In the various political threads in the SoWal forums, there is precious little consensus. The is one point, however, which has garnered support from liberals & conservatives, to wit, that, of all the bad choices we have to reduce the deficit, reducing defense spending is maybe the least unpalatable.

Defense spending ? $690 billion in 2010, or 4.7 percent of G.D.P. ? accounts for 20 percent of the budget. The article below suggests these $ as candidates for reducing the deficit (along with raising taxes).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/opinion/01sun1.html?pagewanted=2&ref=opinion

 

[Lynnie]

In the various political threads in the SoWal forums, there is precious little consensus. The is one point, however, which has garnered support from liberals & conservatives, to wit, that, of all the bad choices we have to reduce the deficit, reducing defense spending is maybe the least unpalatable.

Defense spending ? $690 billion in 2010, or 4.7 percent of G.D.P. ? accounts for 20 percent of the budget. The article below suggests these $ as candidates for reducing the deficit (along with raising taxes).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/opinion/01sun1.html?pagewanted=2&ref=opinion

How much of that can be trimmed? In other words, how much is actual combat?