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not a single state government that's as well-run as the federal government Huh? My family balances its budget. My Homeowners' Association balances its budget

by crusso 14y ago

not a single state government that's as well-run as the federal government Huh? My family balances its budget. My Homeowners' Association balances its budget. My city balances its budget. My county? Well, it doesn't balance its budget well, but it's part of an urban area run by liberals... go figure. My state balances its budget. My Federal government does NOT balance its budget or even make an attempt to. What fantasy cherry picked stats would you use to show how the Federal government is run better than the states. For most things, local control is better than centralized control. We've swung way too far in the centralized direction as a result of the Civil War. Rather than having 50 states that provide different solutions and environments, we mostly have to suffer under the failures of the Federal government. Additionally, the point is that SOME STATES DO MANAGE AFFAIRS BETTER THAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. If I agree with how those states manage, then I can move to them. Unless I want to relinquish my citizenship in the USA, I am trapped with one Federal government that sucks.

tptacek 14y ago
Those states have small populations, low density, and large extractive industry revenues, and still receive large amounts of assistance from the federal government (Alaska being a good example).
rayiner 14y ago
What state of any substantial size is run better than the federal government, when you take out federal subsidies or massive oil/gas revenues (Saudi Arabia doesn't have a budget deficit---that doesn't mean it's well run).
- crusso 14y ago
  Let me Google that for you: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/29/republican-states-balancing-their-budgets/ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/29/republican-s... Virginia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Minnesota? Subsidies are what they are. Crappy accounting practices at the State and Federal level are what they are. The fact that states makes an effort to balance their budget says something about the greater accountability at the more local levels. Our Federal representatives don't even appear to have a modicum of shame over the fact that they don't even budget anymore. They just keep raising the debt ceiling, passing continuing resolutions, and printing money. It's astonishing that there are people who defend a centralized system that is completely unaccountable and destroying the country.
  - rayiner 14y ago
    > Virginia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Minnesota? Virginia, Louisiana, and Missouri receive more federal dollars than they pay in taxes. For Missouri, the net amount is 2.8% of GDP, Louisiana gets 4.4% of GDP, and Virginia gets a staggering 11.2% of GDP. North Carolina and Minnesota look pretty good, but they were up there with New York and Illinois in terms of budget deficits a couple of years ago: http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/8049206/ http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/8049206/
    - crusso 14y ago
      Why do subsidies matter all that much? If they balance the budget with subsidies or without, they are BALANCING A BUDGET. If I get a bonus one year, I spend a little more. If I don't, I don't spend more. I balance the budget. It's about the discipline of balancing a budget, not the exact amount of money you get to balance.
      - rayiner 14y ago
        > Why do subsidies matter all that much? Because balancing a budget is easier when you have more money?
    - AnthonyMouse 14y ago
      >Virginia, Louisiana, and Missouri receive more federal dollars than they pay in taxes. You don't see the irony in this context of asking for a state that pays more in federal taxes than it receives in federal dollars but still manages to have good finances? The reason New York (87%) and Illinois (111%) have such difficulties to begin with is that the federal government extracts so much more from their tax base than they get back in federal money. Minnesota (199%!) pays a higher percentage than Virginia (-145%) receives. ( Numbers are 1990-2009 federal taxes minus spending as percent of state GDP, from here: http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/08/americas-fiscal-union http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/08/americas-f... )

by crusso 14y ago

tptacek 14y ago

Those states have small populations, low density, and large extractive industry revenues, and still receive large amounts of assistance from the federal government (Alaska being a good example).

rayiner 14y ago

What state of any substantial size is run better than the federal government, when you take out federal subsidies or massive oil/gas revenues (Saudi Arabia doesn't have a budget deficit---that doesn't mean it's well run).

crusso 14y ago
Let me Google that for you: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/29/republican-states-balancing-their-budgets/ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/29/republican-s... Virginia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Minnesota? Subsidies are what they are. Crappy accounting practices at the State and Federal level are what they are. The fact that states makes an effort to balance their budget says something about the greater accountability at the more local levels. Our Federal representatives don't even appear to have a modicum of shame over the fact that they don't even budget anymore. They just keep raising the debt ceiling, passing continuing resolutions, and printing money. It's astonishing that there are people who defend a centralized system that is completely unaccountable and destroying the country.
- rayiner 14y ago
  > Virginia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Minnesota? Virginia, Louisiana, and Missouri receive more federal dollars than they pay in taxes. For Missouri, the net amount is 2.8% of GDP, Louisiana gets 4.4% of GDP, and Virginia gets a staggering 11.2% of GDP. North Carolina and Minnesota look pretty good, but they were up there with New York and Illinois in terms of budget deficits a couple of years ago: http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/8049206/ http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/8049206/
  - crusso 14y ago
    Why do subsidies matter all that much? If they balance the budget with subsidies or without, they are BALANCING A BUDGET. If I get a bonus one year, I spend a little more. If I don't, I don't spend more. I balance the budget. It's about the discipline of balancing a budget, not the exact amount of money you get to balance.
    - rayiner 14y ago
      > Why do subsidies matter all that much? Because balancing a budget is easier when you have more money?
  - AnthonyMouse 14y ago
    >Virginia, Louisiana, and Missouri receive more federal dollars than they pay in taxes. You don't see the irony in this context of asking for a state that pays more in federal taxes than it receives in federal dollars but still manages to have good finances? The reason New York (87%) and Illinois (111%) have such difficulties to begin with is that the federal government extracts so much more from their tax base than they get back in federal money. Minnesota (199%!) pays a higher percentage than Virginia (-145%) receives. ( Numbers are 1990-2009 federal taxes minus spending as percent of state GDP, from here: http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/08/americas-fiscal-union http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/08/americas-f... )