Is "conservative fiscal responsibility" a myth? Why haven't Republican presidents submitted a balanced budget

Question

The last president to submit a balanced budget to congress was the last Democratic president, Bill Clinton. Before him, you have to go back to Jimmy Carter to find another balanced budget being submitted by the president.

Bush II, Bush I, and Reagan never once submitted a balanced budget.

Is it just a myth that conservatives are fiscally responsible? If so, where did it come from?


http://zfacts.com/p/480.html (% of debt we owe to various presidents)

http://zfacts.com/p/318.html (history of debt as % of GDP)

Answer 1

They try to pass off the 'trickle down effect' as a real system. HAHAHA

P.S. People who say things like "Dems support terrorists" are about the most ignorant people in existence. Way to make a false generalization and present it as a fact! Do you have your own thoughts, or do you just believe what mommy and Mr. Bush say?

Answer 2

First of all, The balanced budget is a MYTH. The USA has never been out of red ink in modern times. Carter never had one. While true his deficits were modest, they were still there.

Clinton was not responsible for the prosperity that the nation had during his administration. He took credit for the economy G.H.W. Bush handed him. Gingrich's string pullers and the Republican Legislators were largely responsible for the budget situation.

Clinton Was responsible for Giving nuclear technology to N. Korea and Iran. Was that such a good idea? where are we at now as a result? If you give Clinton credit for what he actually did, you'll find out Mr. Credit taker didn't do alot and alot of what he did do has proven to be counter productive in the long term.

Clinton did not have to deal with our country being attacked. He did not have to deal with the difficult decisions of being at war. He did not face the issues we have today as a result of the world economy and the oil producing nations. The president has little control over oil prices.

Let us also remember the price of our freedom is not cheap. Debt from WW II was still being paid into the 1980's. While no one has chosen to call it that, if you look at the ENTIRE middle eastern region, we are basically in WW III.

As a footnote: Remember, dispite the enormous debt created by WW II, it was the single most contibuting factor to the wonderful economic boom we knew in the 1950's. War is actually good for the economy in the long run.

Answer 3

First, let's clarify a few points, because it's more complex than your simplistic view.

1. Republican does not necessarily mean conservative.
2. There are actually 3 types of conservative: social, fiscal, political. Social conservatives support maintaining traditional society but allowing changes to come in slowly, not radical knee-jerk style. Fiscal conservatives believe in balanced budgets, small government spending on Constitutional outlays only. Political conservatives believe in keeping government to a minimum, offering maximum personal liberty. Your comments would benefit from accurate use of these.
3. Conservatives like me do not see that Bush is a fiscal or political conservative. And the Republican-controlled congress from 2001 to now was likewise neither fiscally or politically conservative. Us fiscal conservatives were pretty pissed off about the gross spending and pork-barrel spending.
4. Balanced budgets are nice, but you cannot look at the budget in a vaccuum. When you are in a recession, forcing a balanced budget is not going to help, and may actually harm the economy further, as Carter's budgets did. You have to look at the overall economic picture.
5. If you look at the debt, the greatest area of growth, and what is leading to the busted budgets, are the unConstitutional "entitlements" - welfare. They account for over 1/2 of the annual budget, and will grow even more as the boomers retire.

I'm all for eliminating unConstitutional entitlements. It's a good idea and would solve the issue. Who's with me?

Answer 4

Go look up more info about that so called balanced budget you said Clinton had. It was actually a 30 billion dollar defecit until he added 99.2 billion from social security which gave him a $69.2 billion surplus in 1999. During the previous four years, 1995-98, the government ran deficits totaling $534 billion. A possible $0.7 billion surplus in 1999 doesnt do a great deal to offset all the red ink of previous years.
Social security got an IOU. Neither Bush's or Reagan were fiscal conservatives.

Answer 5

Don't think we have much of a chance of having a balanced budget while at war. Bill Clinton left Bush with a balanced budget and eight years of no action whatsover on terrorism that resulted in 9/11 which was nine months after the change of administrations. A Dem Congress had Bush's personal appointments tied up in debates and most of the Clinton appointnees or deputies were still running key agencies and then after 9/11 in order to hide the eight years of no action, it was a Dem Congress that went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Its one of those little facts that no one wants to remember but its true. The Sentate Intelligence committee that processed the intell in WMDs and have supervisory and budget control over the intell community went for the WMD theory, and in fact, promoted it. Sen Rockefeller a senior Dem/WV was chairman of that committee and strongly supported the war as did his colleagues who knew, in reality, that they had dropped the ball on Osama for the past eight years. A Dem Congress took us to war under a President in office for ten months and now works overtime to make people not look in that direction. Don't think we can balance a budget when we are at war. Kennedy didn't. Johnson certainly didn't. It makes a nice knee jerk political whine but does not stand up under the light of day.

Answer 6

You are basically answering your own question. It is obvious that Republicans use this ploy as diversion to the real platform and that is tax and spend. A way of diverting attention off what you are doing is to accuse the your opponent of doing exactly what you don't want others to know you are doing. Does that make sense? Bush and Republicans talk about the good economy. If you and I spent with regard for how much we have to spend or how the debt would be paid back we could live a pretty posh lifestyle. However, somebody, someday will have to pay the debt. That day is coming...Thank you , Regan, Bushes, etc......

Answer 7

Conservative fiscal responsibility isn't a myth, *GOVERNMENT* fiscal responsibility is the true myth. Clinton only balanced the budget because of the internet dot.com stock market boom and the fact that we had only a few major natural disasters, no wars, no terrorism concerns, etc etc etc. Given the state of the world now, even Clinton would have a hard time getting our monetary affairs in order. It's ALL politicians that are the problem, not just Republicans.. this can be evidenced by $150,000,000 bridges to nowhere, $100,000 studies on toilet seat cleanliness, and on and on..

Answer 8

And who forced a balanced budget, why I believe it was that republican Newt. Its true that Bush has not been fiscally conservative but prior to the Clinton administration the only other time in recent history we had a balanced budget was during Ike's admin.

Answer 9

before everything, The balanced budget is a delusion. the USA of a hasn't ever been out of red ink in present day cases. Carter under no circumstances had one. even as authentic his deficits were modest, they were nonetheless there. Clinton became no longer to blame for the prosperity that the country had for the time of his administration. He took credit for the commercial equipment G.H.W. Bush exceeded him. Gingrich's string pullers and the Republican Legislators were many times to blame for the budget concern. Clinton became to blame for Giving nuclear technologies to N. Korea and Iran. became that any such good concept? the position are we at now hence? in case you provide Clinton credit for what he extremely did, you'll locate out Mr. credit taker did not do alot and alot of what he did do has shown to be counter effective interior the destiny. Clinton did no longer ought to manage our usa being attacked. He did no longer ought to manage the complicated judgements of being at conflict. He did not face the topics we've immediately hence of the international economic equipment and the oil generating countries. The president has little administration over oil expenses. enable us also save in ideas the fee of our freedom isn't low-priced. Debt from WW II became nonetheless being paid into the 1980's. even as no one has chosen to call it that, in case you seem on the entire center jap area, we are in truth in WW III. As a footnote: save in ideas, dispite the tremendous debt created through WW II, it became the single maximum contibuting component to the stunning economic improve we knew interior the 1950's. conflict is fairly good for the commercial equipment interior the destiny.

Answer 10

Give me a break...there hasn't been a REAL balanced budget in generations. Although I'll give Clinton "props" for his ideas of creative financing...both his "balanced budget" and his "surplus" didn't really exist. Too many items were taken "off budget" in order to finagle results. It's all too political.

Not that I'm giving the republicans a break either. Nobody comes clean up there on capitol hill. They all play their dirty little games.

Answer 11

The true test for fiscal responsibility is how much they spend not how much they tax so by that standard neither party has done its job. What we need is president willing to face the huge backlash and possible impeachment attempts from cutting entitlement spending.