Dean: I'll balance budget in 1st term

[Freddie Stubbs]

WASHINGTON -- Howard Dean said he would like to balance the budget in his first term even if it means limiting spending on domestic programs dear to Democrats.
But if he beats nine other Democrats to capture the nomination and then ousts President Bush, Dean said he might have to keep the budget in the red beyond four years to fund his plan for mass transit, renewable energy, road construction, broadband telecommunications and school building.

"I am determined to get rid of the deficit," Dean said in an hourlong interview with reporters and editors from The Associated Press. Later he added, "I am willing to run a deficit longer than I'd like to in order to create jobs."

Dean has yet to release his economic plan, but disclosed some elements during the interview. He said he and his advisers are still deciding whether he can pledge to bring government spending into black by 2008.

more: http://www.benningtonbanner.com/Stories/0,1413,104~8676~1663849,00.html

[HereSince1628]

1. Trickle down misery has too many friends... nt

.

[tsipple]

2. Bravo!

Great job. A half trillion dollar deficit (and growing) is daunting, but he's being aggressive in fixing the problem.

The deficit is killing economic growth, and it's risking Medicare, Social Security, and other programs Baby Boomers will need. We need to solve that problem.

[Nicholas_J]

7. Yes but among the methods

Dean has indicated he uses to balance budgets, in his past behavios and recent statements, is to cut social programs, medicare and social security themselves.

[arcos]

16. zzz...

:boring: :boring: :boring:

[izzie]

3. Saw two signs in someones yard to day for Dean. In Maine.

:wow:

[10digits]

4. Dean is such a blowhard!

I watched him on FTN yesterday and he was just pathetic. This one trick monkey is on the way out.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Nicholas_J]

13. Hey

There are no rules about inter-species bashing yet, but that is an insult to monkeys. They have a far more compassionate history of support for social programs than Dean.

[Demobrat]

6. Actually, the headline is misleading.

He said he would like to, he didn't say he could for sure.

[sandnsea]

8. Herbert Hoover

"There is a decrease in the annual yield of income taxes alone from $2,400,000,000 in the years of prosperity to only $1,200,000,000 today. Simultaneously we are carrying a high and necessary extra burden of public works in aid to the unemployed, of aids to agriculture and of increased benefits and services to veterans. In these circumstances I am directing the most drastic economy in every non-vital branch of government, yet the essential services must be maintained."

Bzzzzz, wrong answer Howard.

http://www.geocities.com/mb_williams/hooverpapers/1931/paper19310921.html

[genius]

9. I want education and health care

more than a balanced budget.

[Demobrat]

I think he does too.

At least it sure sounded like it on the phone just now.

[dsc]

10. four years is too fast

and actually if the 2008 year is right he is discussing three (his first budget would be 2005). I am a deficit hawk after having the wisdom of a balanced budget demonstrated so well by Clinton. But there is no way we can balance the budget in 3 or 4 years and still build a good economy. Repeal of the entire Bush cuts and getting help paying with the war should cut our projected deficits in half but the second half will be the tough half. A realistic target would be a 150 billion or so deficit in 09 and then a surplus in 13.

[DrFunkenstein]

11. Couldn't Agree More

Cut the Deficit in Half: John Kerry is committed to balancing the budget. He has put forward a sensible plan that will at least cut the deficit in half in his first term, while investing in economic growth and investing in workers.

A Balanced Budget Summit: As President, John Kerry will call a Balanced Budget Summit that will require all sides to work together to make at least temporary sacrifices -- even in their top priorities -- as part of a concerted effort to restore fiscal discipline and fight for our future.

End Special Tax Breaks: To restore fiscal discipline and strengthen our economy, Kerry will repeal Bush’s special tax breaks for Americans who make more than $200,000.

Cut Excesses in Government: One of the Bush Administrations well-kept secrets is that under his watch the size of government has actually gotten bigger – not smaller. John Kerry will reduce the size of the Federal government by: bringing spending down to the level of GDP it was under Clinton.

Restore Budget Rules to Stop Runaway Spending. John Kerry believes we need to reverse the new budget rules Republicans in Congress have established that make it easier to spend into deficits with fewer votes. He will also review and reassess all discretionary spending programs to determine their effectiveness and whether they should continue to be funded.

Implement the McCain-Kerry Commission on Corporate Welfare. Powerful special interest groups make it hard to cut special tax loopholes and pork barrel spending projects. John Kerry supports a Commission that would recommend cuts and require Congress to vote on all recommendations, so no single special interest could fight for pet projects.

Under Kerry’s plan, the President would identify wasteful spending items in the budget and submit the list to Congress to vote on in an up-or-down fashion – saving billions of dollars.

<>

[Nicholas_J]

14. Clinton

managed to balance the budget by "SIGNIFICANTLY" raising taxes on the rich, and by cutting them to the middle class. Deans package increases the level of taxation on the rich AND the middle class. Which will collapse the economy. Clintons program pumped money directly into the economy though immediate use of tax cut money by the lower brackets, and funded government programs and deficit reduction out of the pockets of the rich.

[dsc]

18. Clinton did not cut middle class taxes

in truth he raised them slightly (the 5 cent per gallon gasoline tax). He did promise to but he reneged on that promise when he saw the size of the deficit.

On edit Dean's increase in taxes on the rich, and under your rules it would be one, would be greater than Clinton's was. Taxes on the vast majority of the rich are lower now than they were when Clinton took office and Dean wishes to restore rates to where Clinton left them. The sole exception to this would be rich people who earned all of their own income (no dividends, no inheritences)

[revcarol]

12. gggrrrrrr!! If he doesn't cut the DEFENSE budget,

which he says HE WON'T(on Russert,)all the repealing taxes won't even make a DENT in the budget deficit. THE ONLY PLACE TO CUT WILL BE SOCIAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS which are already hemorraghing now.

NICE MOVE, DEAN. YOU FINALLY SHOWED YOUR TRUE COLORS.

HERBERT HOOVER WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF YOU.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. Why is the thread titled so deceptively?

I mean the title of the thread is: "Dean: I'll balance budget in 1st term" when what the stories says is: "Dean has yet to release his economic plan, but disclosed some elements during the interview. He said he and his advisers are still deciding whether he can pledge to bring government spending into black by 2008." (http://www.benningtonbanner.com/Stories/0,1413,104~8676~1663849,00.html)

So why title the thread so deceptively if the intent is not to deceive?

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

17. It's great to know that,

by looking directly at Dean's record as governor, he truly is committed to balancing the budget as soon as possible while growing our economy. Eleven years of balancing budgets, it's obvious this is one of his passions.

What I'd love to see most, though, is his Success by Six program implemented nation-wide. Now THAT would be something to be proud of!

[DocSavage]

19. No Way

If he is elected, he will have a congress and Senate with R's after thier names. They will not go along with him. It will be the same as the Senate now with Bush, just reversed.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

21. Dean had similar situation in VT

and still got lots of great legislation to his desk. He's practical, and has shown he can do it.

[molly]

20. Yadda-yadda-yadda

:boring: