Thursday, August 30, 2012

A Challenge

Find me ONE four-year period in which revenues to the U.S. federal government rose in excess of 45%.

7 comments:

  1. According to various
    sources , the WWII years
    showed marked revenue increases:
    the four years 1940-44, for example showed revenues increasing from $8.7billion to $43.7billion
    (4.6% GDP up to 20.9% GDP)
    ..well beyond 45%, if I calculate
    right.

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  2. How about 20 years since 1900. Four year periods ending:
    1917
    1918
    1919
    1920
    1921
    1935
    1936
    1937
    1938
    1939
    1942
    1943
    1944
    1945
    1946
    1952
    1953
    1979
    1980
    1981

    I imagine you picked 45% because that is the figure you used for 4 years after the Bush tax cuts. My source places his numbers somewhat lower, at 35% for the 4 years ending 2006 and 37% ending 2007.

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  3. You got me, BB Idaho. That certainly was a spike well in excess of 45% (I guess that a war will do that to a country - employing all able male bodies in the army and spending like crazy).............Jerry, total direct revenue in 2003 was 1.78 trillion and 2.57 trillion in 2007. That's nearly an 800 billion dollar increase and the exact percentage is 44.38202%

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  4. What's the address to your source, Jerry? My computer isn't able to access that link.

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  5. I wonder how much of the "increase" is borrowed money coming back to the treasury? An enormous amount of money was spent on bush's two wars, enriching the private contractors (which actually outnumbered the troops). These companies probably had to pay a lot more in taxes as a result.

    And, it seems to me like Will is still arguing strongly that the bush tax cuts increased revenue... although I'm sure he'll deny it. I don't know how he can, but I'm sure he will.

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  6. Table 1.1 at the link below.

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals/

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  7. I don't know if the Bush tax cuts caused the revenue increases any more than you know that they didn't. You pointed to the "fact" that Bush's tax cuts had a deleterious effect and I simply showed you that they couldn't have been too deleterious given that an 800 billion dollar surge in revenues ensued. Sorry for the nuance but sometimes it's necessary.......P.S. Do you "wonder" the same thing about LBJ's unnecessary war that ended up killing ten times as many American troops as Bush's/Obama's wars have? Or does your inquisitive nature only pertain to Republicans?

    ReplyDelete

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