How are your investments doing?

[two_bit_score]

And replaced with what? The money's got to come from somewhere.

The taxing entities must be forced to cut their excessive spending. Dang, sometimes I think they must have gone to school in Minnesota.

 

[riptides]

The taxing entities must be forced to cut their excessive spending. Dang, sometimes I think they must have gone to school in Minnesota.

Seen the US governments deficit lately?

 

[jyoutz]

Before the Sixteenth Amendment established the federal income tax in 1913, the government was funded primarily by
tariffs on imported goods, supplemented by excise taxes on goods like alcohol and tobacco, the sale of public land, and other fees. These sources provided the main revenue until larger expenses, such as the Civil War, necessitated new forms of taxation.

We were also a simple agrarian society back in the 1800s with no interstate highways or substantive military for example.

 

[two_bit_score]

Seen the US governments deficit lately?

Yes. It's being reduced daily.

 

[MossRoad]

Seen the US governments deficit lately?

New math...

On October 23, 2025, the National debt reached $38 trillion, a new high.

 

[Hay Dude]

“debt” and “deficit” are 2 different things.

 

[MossRoad]

U.S. hits $38 trillion in debt, after the fastest accumulation of $1 trillion outside of the pandemic

This rapid debt accumulation is the fastest outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the debt having reached $37 trillion in August.

www.pbs.org

 

[MossRoad]

In other words.... trying to justify "I overdrew my checking account 2% less that I did last year."

 

[drssg]

In other words.... trying to justify "I overdrew my checking account 2% less that I did last year."

I haven't been keeping up on the stats, but that would be at least moving in the right direction. We haven't balanced our "checking account" in a LONG time.

 

[two_bit_score]

U.S. hits $38 trillion in debt, after the fastest accumulation of $1 trillion outside of the pandemic

This rapid debt accumulation is the fastest outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the debt having reached $37 trillion in August.

www.pbs.org

Back out the "mandatory spending" brought on by the prior administration and it is much different.