Except that there has not been a single year in the last 20 that the debt has gone down. In other words each year there has been a deficit. (Information source: Historical Debt)
"George W. Bush inherited a $127 billion fiscal surplus but ran through all of that and more in his first year. He has turned a $5.6 trillion 10 year forecast surplus into a $3+ trillion forecast loss-an almost unimaginable reversal of $9 trillion in only three years."
Isn't true, there hasn't been any "surplus". When Clinton got out we we're in DEBT and we still are, just worse. In actual fact the government has been runnning in debt since at least the 1920's.
(Note these figures are based on the fiscal years, not when the President was inaugurated, from Official Current US Debt)
The Debt when Reagan got in:
12/31/1980 $930,210,000,000.00
The Debt after Reagan's first term:
12/31/1984 $1,662,966,000,000.00 (+.6 trillion)
The Debt when Bush I got in:
09/30/1988 $2,602,337,712,041.16 (+1.6 trillion for Reagan in eight years)
When Bush I left and Clinton got in:
09/30/1992 $4,064,620,655,521.66 (+1.4 trillion for Bush I in four years)
The Debt after Clinton's first term:
09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73 (+1.1 trillion)
The Debt when Clinton left office:
09/30/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86 (+1.6 trillion for Clinton in 8 years)
The Current debt:
02/10/2004 $7,012,102,110,400.63 (+1.3 trillion for Bush II in 3 years)
All of the last few presidents have been steadily increasing the debt by huge margins, it's nothing new (unfortunately).
See
Government Debt or Official Current US Debt
Slashdot Mirror
(Information source: Historical Debt)
2002-2003 $555B deficit
2001-2002 $421B deficit
2000-2001 $133B deficit
1999-2000 $ 18B deficit
1998-1999 $130B deficit
1997-1998 $113B deficit
1996-1997 $189B deficit
1995-1996 $251B deficit
1994-1995 $281B deficit
1993-1994 $281B deficit
1992-1993 $347B deficit
1991-1992 $399B deficit
1990-1991 $432B deficit
1989-1990 $376B deficit
1988-1989 $255B deficit
1987-1988 $252B deficit
1986-1987 $225B deficit
1985-1986 $180B deficit *note fiscal year end changed from Dec 31, to Sep 30
1984-1985 $283B deficit
1983-1984 $252B deficit
Where are the surpluses?
There is not a single year the debt has gone down. In fact, the last actual surplus was a $581M dollar surplus in the 1959-1960 year.
Isn't true, there hasn't been any "surplus". When Clinton got out we we're in DEBT and we still are, just worse. In actual fact the government has been runnning in debt since at least the 1920's. (Note these figures are based on the fiscal years, not when the President was inaugurated, from Official Current US Debt)
The Debt when Reagan got in:
12/31/1980 $930,210,000,000.00
The Debt after Reagan's first term:
12/31/1984 $1,662,966,000,000.00 (+.6 trillion)
The Debt when Bush I got in:
09/30/1988 $2,602,337,712,041.16 (+1.6 trillion for Reagan in eight years)
When Bush I left and Clinton got in:
09/30/1992 $4,064,620,655,521.66 (+1.4 trillion for Bush I in four years)
The Debt after Clinton's first term:
09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73 (+1.1 trillion)
The Debt when Clinton left office:
09/30/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86 (+1.6 trillion for Clinton in 8 years)
The Current debt:
02/10/2004 $7,012,102,110,400.63 (+1.3 trillion for Bush II in 3 years)
All of the last few presidents have been steadily increasing the debt by huge margins, it's nothing new (unfortunately).
See Government Debt or Official Current US Debt
It would certainly be a different doctor. Kind of a scary thought. :)
How about the actor who played Rimmer on Red Dwarf? I know he's pretty busy though.