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Economy
White House to paint grim fiscal picture
2010-02-01
Another grim milestone in the Bambi administration ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House will predict a $1.6 trillion U.S. budget deficit in the 2010 fiscal year, a fresh record and the biggest since World War Two as a share of the economy, a congressional source told Reuters on Sunday. The grim forecast adds to the challenges facing President Barack Obama, who is emphasizing a message of fiscal discipline but is also seeking stimulus measures to boost the struggling economy in the near term.

Obama's budget proposal, which will be released at 10 a.m. EST on Monday, will predict a narrowing of the deficits to $700 billion by fiscal 2013 before they gradually rise back to $1 trillion by the end of the decade, the Capitol Hill source said.
That's before the health care 'reform' bill comes due.
He will submit his spending blueprint for the 2011 fiscal year that begins October 1 and runs through September 30 next year. Obama is trying to strike a balance between long-term deficit reduction and easing the pain of double-digit unemployment through proposals such as tax credits to encourage business hiring and tax breaks for middle class families.

Criticized by Republicans as a big spender, Obama used his State of the Union address last week to tell Americans he would dig the country out of a "massive fiscal hole."

That hole is even deeper than previously believed, according to the estimate by the White House's Office of Management and Budget.
Notice how 'unexpected' everything is in the Bambi economy?
The estimate for the current 2010 fiscal year that ends September 30 is significantly higher than the $1.35 trillion figure forecast by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office last week.

Despite the difference, both estimates indicate that the deficit will continue to hover near 10 percent of gross domestic product, a level not seen since World War Two, when measured as a percentage of the economy. Last year, the government posted a $1.4 trillion deficit, equivalent to 9.9 percent of GDP.

In his budget, Obama will propose a three-year freeze on some domestic programs to save $20 billion next year and $250 billion over the coming decade. But that will not be enough to get deficits down permanently to the 3 percent of GDP that most economists consider sustainable.

Deficits are projected to fall as the economy recovers, but they will still average roughly 4.5 percent of GDP over the coming decade, according to the estimate.
That's before we pay for the health care 'reform', cap and trade, and Son of Stimulus ...
Deficits are expected to rise again toward the end of the decade due to the increasing cost of retirement and healthcare programs as the "baby boom" generation retires.

Obama has warned that the burgeoning U.S. debt could unnerve U.S. financial markets, driving up borrowing costs and putting future economic growth at risk.
Should have thought of that last year ...
China, the biggest foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries, has urged the United States to get its fiscal house in order.

The bleak numbers could help build support for a bipartisan commission proposed by the White House that would recommend ways to address the budget problems.
We already have a 'bipartisan commission' to cut the budget: it's called, Congress ...
Posted by:Steve White

#18  QUIT SPENDING, YOU IDIOTS!
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2010-02-01 19:31  

#17  White House to cause grim fiscal picture

Fixed it for ya.
Posted by: DMFD   2010-02-01 19:25  

#16  I think it highly likely there will a cascading sovereign debt crisis by Christmas.

Arguably it's already started with the interest countries like Greece have to pay to sell debt rising rapidly. Making their deficits grow even faster.

Go long treasuries and bonds but make sure you get out when the defaults start.
Posted by: phil_b   2010-02-01 17:48  

#15  Borrow your way out of debt...

Why didn't anyone think of that before?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2010-02-01 16:55  

#14  Boy howdy! It looks like we will all need to be on khat to accept this fiscal insanity.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2010-02-01 16:17  

#13  From what I've heard this incredible growing deficit is being CONSTRAINED by revenue increase shown in the budget from a massive infusion of new tax money from cap-n-trade.

If that doesn't pass (and I don't think it will, thank God) then the deficit will be even bigger!!

At this rate this dspicable moron will have increased our debt in 2 years by 4 times over the amount the 'pubs did in the 12 years they ran congress.
Posted by: AlanC   2010-02-01 15:51  

#12   I sure hope the 401k comes back! See, he promised you 'hope' and now you have it!
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2010-02-01 13:11  

#11  Precisely #10. As we all now know, "reparations do not go far enough."
Posted by: Besoeker   2010-02-01 07:29  

#10  
It's not a mistake, it's intentional.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloward%E2%80%93Piven_strategy
Posted by: Parabellum   2010-02-01 07:26  

#9  There is money in there to 'bailout' some 25 States.
Posted by: Tom- Pa   2010-02-01 07:11  

#8  "For the Love of Money" Yeah Nostalgia ----- It's the Carter years all over again! Hold on kids you ain't seen nothin yet.

Zero and his crowd had a year to "own the problem" did they do it ? NO! - Its Bush's fault. F-U ... The Dems have been in control of the finances since they won the Congress in 2006. They have F-d around for 4 years. No progress, just gets worse.

Zero, you were right, it is time for a change; dismiss as many Dems from the Congress as we can in 2010 and put the adults back in charge.
Posted by: Slager Fleans1500   2010-02-01 07:07  

#7  Besoeker - when I started paying social security in I was sure it'd be gone by 2015, but lately, I had been thinking I might actually see it.

House appreciation, social security, and 401k - a three-legged stool. Now, the first of those is gone, and the second certainly possible to go away, as you suggested. I sure hope the 401k comes back!
Posted by: Bobby   2010-02-01 06:00  

#6  Deficits are expected to rise again toward the end of the decade due to the increasing cost of retirement and healthcare programs as the "baby boom" generation retires.

Well we'll just have to move to a 'needs based' social security and healthcare scheme. If you already have a pension, IRA, or 401k.... you've NO NEED for social security or medicare. [sarc off]
Posted by: Besoeker   2010-02-01 02:51  

#5  Clown.
Posted by: lex   2010-02-01 02:29  

#4  Obama used his State of the Union address last week to tell Americans he would dig the country out of a "massive fiscal hole."

"You will dig. I will direct you where to pile it."

1.35 trillion deficit, and he's gonna fix it by cutting 30 billion. The man is fiscally ignorant.

Time to start planning on how to impeach this guy before he kills the country.
Posted by: KBK   2010-02-01 01:38  

#3  why cant he just own up to it : He is the Manchurian Candidate and he'stotally fuqued US, as in US-a. thanks ,....guy
Posted by: 746   2010-02-01 01:24  

#2  Wehell, iff CNBC + FOX this AM is any measure, POTUS BAMMER + ADMIN is going to have another struggling week agz the Econo-Perts, GOP + DEM + CENTER.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2010-02-01 01:13  

#1  Arugula prices become totally unreasonable?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2010-02-01 00:17  

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