back-of-the-envelope calculation on budget surplus

[James Devine]

Max writes: >The tax cut motive [of the WALL STREET JOURNAL et al] stems
more, I think, from a desire to just shrink the public sector altogether.<

this is a fallacy. The WSJ wants to increase the size of the military,
police, and prison sectors of the government, along with getting tax cuts
for their main constituencies, especially the very rich. In the old
tradition of supply side economics, they want tax cuts more than a
"balanced budget." It's the standard special-interest way of doing things,
asking for special benefits for themselves, and cuts for everyone else,
while dressing it up in an ideology that says that _all_ will benefit. 

Jim Devine jdevine at popmail.lmu.edu &
http://clawww.lmu.edu/Departments/ECON/jdevine.html