Regarding the Budget Surplus

Max Sawicky sawicky at epinet.org
Mon Feb 15 19:18:05 PST 1999



> Dear Doug and the LBOers,
>
> I'm curious to know what the LBOers would spend the budget surplus on,
> if they had a chance to direct national economic policy. If you were
> dealing the cards what would you suggest be done with the surplus and
> why?
>

The first $100 billion:

add $10 billion for Head Start, to get all three- and four-year olds not currently enrolled.

add $20 billion for elementary & secondary school aid

add $20 billion for regional, urban-centered transportation networks

add $30 billion to TANF, refederalize it with national minimum benefits and uniform eligibility

add $20 billion for welfare-to-work support services

This would mean spending the surplus and borrowing another $30 billion, in the current economic environment as easy as pie.

Medicaid spending has gone up appreciably, and going the whole way to national health care would cost more than $100 billion, hence my omission of health care in the list above.

mbs



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