Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Exactly when did we have a real surplus with this governement?

Im confused, as someone that knows a thing or two about the way money works, can somebody tell me when we paid off the national debt? All they did was balance a budget (something most of us do on a weekly basis) I hear so much about a surplus from the democrat freinds I have, and so much about growing our way clear of a recession from my republican friends.. As a former "collection agent" I never seen the national debt paid off... From where i sit its like owing a bookie 10 large and thinking you have it made cause you have an extra 5 bucks from your budget....

6 Answers

Relevance
  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    There has never even been a surplus in the budget let alone being debt free. There can never be a surplus as long as the social security funds are treated as regular funds. The " surplus " was only a projected surplus meaning it had not happened but it might if revenues remained the same and spending did not increase.

    Economics is not the long suit of our representatives nor is it among most pundits.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    We never have. that was smoke and mirrors. The only year they could possibly say that is 1999. Then the total surplus for the year was $.7 billion. It was the $99.2 billion surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund that enabled the government to report a budget surplus of $69.2 billion. During a year in which the United States Government spent $30 billion more than it collected in general revenue, it announced that there was a $69.2 billion overall surplus!

    Source(s): http://www.delta.edu/mkhiatt/surplus_myth.html ck4829- you better go recheck your facts!
  • ?
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    It was a PROJECTED surplus, and it required down-sizing the military, cutting spending (by sending welfare to the states to fund) and over-taxing the middle class. And it did not include repaying monies "borrowed" from the Social Security trust.

    The national debt will never be paid off.

  • 1 decade ago

    There is a difference between surplus and not running a deficit. If anyone doubts this, ask any housewife!

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • ck4829
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    During Clinton.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    july 4,1776 we had a surplus. it has gone down hill since.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.