Balanced Budget Amendment

[Dreepa]

I used to be very anti having a Constitutional Amendment  to balance the budget.

But now I am not so sure.  Those clowns in DC can't do it.  We might need to have very simple one:

You can only spend what you have. No exceptions.  That means you.

Any thoughts?

[Caleb]

Jefferson said that if he could choose a single amendment to the Constitution, it would be to deprive Congress of their ability to borrow money.  That is essentially what a balanced budget amendment does.  The problem is that when Congress considers them, they always want to add so many exceptions that it pretty much becomes meaningless anyway, even if it could pass.

Caleb

[KBCraig]

Wouldn't change a thing.

Think about it: they already violate the laws they've passed, and they already violate the Constitution with 99% of their laws. You think they're going to let an amendment slow them down?

The only solution is to get them out of power, and keep them out.

Kevin

[aries]

How about balancing the budget by barring all new spending and all new taxes for 15 years. As soon as we're out of debt and the budget is in line with current taxation, we can cut taxes in half or more.

[Pat McCotter]

How about balancing the budget by barring all new spending and all new taxes for 15 years. As soon as we're out of debt and the budget is in line with current taxation, we can cut taxes in half or more.

No, no, no. You don't understand what is meant by balanced budget.

We want to spend this much this year. To balance this we have to have the same amount in taxes.

Please stay in school. We didn't indoctrinate you enough.

[aries]

We want to spend this much this year. To balance this we have to have the same amount in taxes.

Please stay in school. We didn't indoctrinate you enough.

Oh. I thought it was about getting us out of debt by determining how much we could spend, or needed to save before we were at zero debt.

I'll be in school for another 4-7 years depending if I go to Law School. I think we need some libertarian/activist lawyers so I would love to go.

[DC]

We want to spend this much this year. To balance this we have to have the same amount in taxes.

Please stay in school. We didn't indoctrinate you enough.

Oh. I thought it was about getting us out of debt by determining how much we could spend, or needed to save before we were at zero debt.

I'll be in school for another 4-7 years depending if I go to Law School. I think we need some libertarian/activist lawyers so I would love to go.

He brings up something there about they can just use that as an excuse to keep raising taxes on 49% of the people. They can keep raising taxes and spend more and more. I would prefere a banced budget amendment with a flat tax so everyone would have an interest in cutting spending.

Edit: Everyone wouldn't have an interest in cutting taxes because there are those that only take money and don't make any. It would be more likely to be the majority with a balanced budget amendment and flat tax. I would also like to stop the states with a state income tax being able to write them off of the federal taxes.