Just the facts thread hijack
 

On Tue, 4 Aug 2015 22:09:22 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Look at the national debt in just the last two terms of the President!
Out of control in spending.

What do you mean "out of control"? What would you cut?

-- Ed Huntress


Just so I don't have to scroll through to follow my questions.

National debt:


I don't think it's a matter of cutting. Just follow the many of the
industrial rules for suppliers. Costs not to exceed the rate of
inflation. Refuse to pay more than inflation rate for government
supplies/expenses.

I will give some examples, but I know there are extenuating
circumstances, which I will question following the example.

How much per capita on Medicare/Medicaid is spent per year?

Ditto primary schooling.

Ditto road maintenance.

Ditto government political expenses. (salaries, aides' salaries, expense
accounts)

Ditto defense suppliers.


Also, where can I find this information? (Same for the below)

Year by year, adjusted if possible.

Okay, circumstances:

Increases in the number of people receiving the service will affect the
total amount needed.

Decrease in the amount of tax dollars collected.

(interesting to find out the median ACTUAL percentage of GROSS INCOME
paid by people in different tax brackets. (and number of people in each
bracket) Up or down since say, the '80's)

Money taken out of the economy and not replaced. (or taxed)
i.e.:

Money sent out of the country to family members in other countries. (how
much?)

Deposited in foreign banks.

Illegal drug trade.


Lots of questions, not enough time to research.


Is this reliable?

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Maybe someone here can guide/narrow my search efforts, so I will
actually do it, instead of giving up. I'm sure I will have more
questions, Pandora's box you know. G

Just the facts thread hijack
 

On Sat, 08 Aug 2015 18:24:49 -0400, Steve Walker
wrote:

On Tue, 4 Aug 2015 22:09:22 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

Look at the national debt in just the last two terms of the President!
Out of control in spending.

What do you mean "out of control"? What would you cut?

-- Ed Huntress


Just so I don't have to scroll through to follow my questions.

National debt:


I don't think it's a matter of cutting. Just follow the many of the
industrial rules for suppliers. Costs not to exceed the rate of
inflation. Refuse to pay more than inflation rate for government
supplies/expenses.

I will give some examples, but I know there are extenuating
circumstances, which I will question following the example.

How much per capita on Medicare/Medicaid is spent per year?

Ditto primary schooling.

Ditto road maintenance.

Ditto government political expenses. (salaries, aides' salaries, expense
accounts)

Ditto defense suppliers.


Also, where can I find this information? (Same for the below)

All over the place. g You're looking for data that's collected by a
variety of entities for a variety of purposes. Digging those out is
hard work. I'd want to get paid for it. d8-)


Year by year, adjusted if possible.

Okay, circumstances:

Increases in the number of people receiving the service will affect the
total amount needed.

Decrease in the amount of tax dollars collected.

(interesting to find out the median ACTUAL percentage of GROSS INCOME
paid by people in different tax brackets. (and number of people in each
bracket) Up or down since say, the '80's)

IRS. But that's vicious data to work with -- I've done it. Somebody (I
think it was Joe) noted that the St. Louis Fed site now has quartile
data, at least for the first three quartiles. The Fed data is very
easy to work with. You can make graphs with it in an instant, right at
their site.

It does take some practice. I've been using it frequently for a few
years now.



Money taken out of the economy and not replaced. (or taxed)
i.e.:

Money sent out of the country to family members in other countries. (how
much?)

Percentage-wise, not much.


Deposited in foreign banks.

Illegal drug trade.


Lots of questions, not enough time to research.

That's the truth.



Is this reliable?

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Their number for national debt is widely quoted, but I've never seen
that whole page. Checking them might take a few hundred hours.


Maybe someone here can guide/narrow my search efforts, so I will
actually do it, instead of giving up. I'm sure I will have more
questions, Pandora's box you know. G

By far the best source is the St. Louis Fed. ("FRED". Google "FED
FRED" without the quotes)

It won't answer all of your questions, but it will go a long way. Some
of your other questions are answered by the breakdowns of federal
expenditures. Watch out for reports on the "federal budget." They're
generally hash, because there is no real federal budget.

If you get into it, remember to come up for air...

--
Ed Huntress