> 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