NYT Budget Tool: The poll (OK, poll not working. Read opening post.)

[Larry]

OK, so I've tried to make some proposals for how to deal with the deficit, using the Budget Tool which the NYT posted, and which several committed posters have been pointing people at for a while.

Nobody seems to respond.

I figured that maybe if I created a poll, then a) people would discuss it, and b) maybe we'd get lucky and discover that there are some (maybe several) proposals where there's actually a consensus.

What I'm going to do (It will likely take a few minutes for me to cut and paste each individual item. And I haven't counted, it might not all fit on one poll) is to create a poll (where people can vote for "all that apply") where people can check every item which they think is a good idea.

(My theory being that if, say, 65% of ES thinks raising the SS age to 70 is a good idea, then I'll call that a consensus.)

If nothing else, we can all get a feel for "If Congress simply does the things that we all agree on, then what will that do to the deficit?"

OK, something wrong with creating a poll. Can't seem to do it.

But, if you go to the NYT link, and either post a link to your choices (if you balance the budget, then a link will appear at the top, that you can copy and paste), or just post a list of the items you picked, then I'll manually input your choices into a spreadsheet, and post the results.

[MissU28]

I solved the budget


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=s11nc5l4

[SpringfieldSkins]

I solved the budget


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=s11nc5l4

I did too and I didn't mess with medicare or social security either.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=t5tl15lf

[MissU28]

I did too and I didn't mess with medicare or social security either.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=t5tl15lf

what's wrong with messing with either of those?

At least I didn't mess with people's jobs.

Looking back, I would have also checked off the last one about the bank tax (I had already fixed the budget by the time I got to that), and I would have checked off the "reduce mortgage deductions on high income households."

[SpringfieldSkins]

what's wrong with messing with either of those?

At least I didn't mess with people's jobs.

Looking back, I would have also checked off the last one about the bank tax (I had already fixed the budget by the time I got to that), and I would have checked off the "reduce mortgage deductions on high income households."

I don't know how long I'm going to live but it wouldn't surprise me if I'm dead before I'm 70. You'll piss a lot of old people off if your raise the SS or medicare age. I don't see it ever happening personally. As far as government workers, I feel like that's been undergoing inflation as well.

[Larry]

Apologies for the lack of poll. I create the thread, and then get "502 Bad Gateway".

In fact, I still can't access this thread using Firefox. I can get into the thread with IE, (but can't create the poll).

Edit: OK, clearing cookies at least allowed me to read the thread with Firefox. (But not to create the poll.)

[Hubbs]

I don't know how long I'm going to live but it wouldn't surprise me if I'm dead before I'm 70. You'll piss a lot of old people off if your raise the SS or medicare age. I don't see it ever happening personally. As far as government workers, I feel like that's been undergoing inflation as well.

You realize that it would only be done gradually for people who aren't close to retirement, right?

[Larry]

I don't know how long I'm going to live but it wouldn't surprise me if I'm dead before I'm 70. You'll piss a lot of old people off if your raise the SS or medicare age. I don't see it ever happening personally. As far as government workers, I feel like that's been undergoing inflation as well.

Well, you either have to reduce the amount paid out, or increase the amount paid in. (Raising the retirement age does both.)

(Same statement applies to Medicare.)

You got a way of doing that that's more fair?

[mardi gras skin]

This is a great idea if you can figure out the technical aspects, Larry. Looking forward to some Tailgate consensus.

[GhostofSparta]

And deficits eliminated in both 2015 and 2030: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=756pdl4k

[Larry]

I solved the budget


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=s11nc5l4

Just going through your selections, you didn't eliminate farm subsidies? I figured that would be the one thing that everybody agreed on.

And oooh, you want to go back to the bad old days for the Death Tax? (I think I picked the more moderate, Obama, proposal.)

I think I went with the more moderate, Obama, option for Capital Gains tax, too.

---------- Post added April-24th-2011 at 01:16 PM ----------

This is a great idea if you can figure out the technical aspects, Larry. Looking forward to some Tailgate consensus.

Don't think there's any way, at this time, that it will let me add a poll.

(And I'm reluctant to attempt another thread creation, after failing twice.)

[luckydevil]

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=zzx4hjp2

[Maxima2000]

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=019l40qz
Woot Woot! I solved the deficit

[Thiebear]

I was one of those that said every Conressperson has to take the test with the top 20 picked going into the buget.
At least that way you'll probably get a bit of both sides sacred cows in there also.

[mardi gras skin]

It's the thought that counts, Larry.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=br2vrl58