![\"\"](\"https:\/\/somewhatlogically.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Things-you-will-need-corr2.jpg\" "\\"Things")
<\/a><\/p>\nGather up the tools to get started. \u00a0Click on the images for a larger version.<\/p>\n
Got all your stuff ready? \u00a0Next, print out the following image as large as you can.<\/p>\n
Now, we’re ready to start cutting the budget. \u00a0Cut out all the solid boxes above the zero line out of the paper, leaving a square window. \u00a0Make sure you leave the numbers on the left. \u00a0Glue the paper with the hole onto a second sheet of paper so you can glue the boxes back in when you have cut them down to size. \u00a0The next step is cut across each box to take off what you think we can save and still keep the country running. \u00a0You can use a ruler and figure out how many inches per trillion dollars to tell you how much to cut. \u00a0You can start out simply doing one year at a time.\u00a0\u00a0Figure out what will go away if you make the cuts.<\/p>\n If you just make cuts across the board to balance the budget with the revenues, you’ll cut everything by about a third…and things just won’t work and there will be hundreds of thousands more people unemployed. You might ask your grandparents if it is a good idea to cut social security, or ask your teacher about what she thinks about the cuts. \u00a0Discretionary spending is what the President decides to put in the budget. \u00a0If it is mandatory, then our elected officials have to change the law. \u00a0This can cause a lot of fights in Washington.<\/p>\n Before you begin, here are a few things to \u00a0consider. \u00a0 The green box at the bottom shows things that contributed to the deficit. Anything you can cut out of the green stuff ( which is shown year by year) lets you move the revenues upwards. That’s the line at $2.56 trillion on the left side of the budget, which is what we pay in taxes. \u00a0For instance, if you cut out the unpaid-for wars and the Bush tax cuts, you could move that line up to nearly $3 trillion. \u00a0If you put in any more new tax cuts, which is what a lot of people in Washington want to do, that will move the revenue line down. Way back in the 80’s the Government started cutting taxes on the rich and said we would get more revenues than the tax cuts cost. They called this the “Trickle Down ” theory. \u00a0These people will get really mad if you ask them why you can’t raise revenues to help balance the budget, but it’s a good question. (If a grown up tells you the Trickle Down theory works, ask him to prove it. The country has been trying it \u00a0for over 30 years with no luck) Fixing the economy would also move the revenues up by about $400 billion this year but this always takes time.\u00a0If you have a really good way to quickly fix the deficit caused by the bad economy, please \u00a0write as soon as possible\u00a0to President Obama and your Congressman and Senator to let them know how it works.<\/p>\n To help you get started, the graphic has colored boxes that represent what we are spending in the current Federal Budget. \u00a0It’s a good place to start. Cut off as many billions as you feel is OK from each box, and then glue them back into the right place on the graphic. \u00a0The object of the game is to make sure that whatever is in these boxes after you have cut them down to size and glued in place fits below the revenue line.<\/p>\n You got everything to fit? \u00a0The economy hasn’t crashed? \u00a0Grandparents not mad at you?<\/p>\n Congratulations! \u00a0You’ve balanced the federal budget! \u00a0You’ve won! \u00a0And God bless America.<\/p>\n P.S. \u00a0Once you have played the game, especially if you cut a lot out of programs that your family uses and likes, like Social Security and grandparents,college loans for a brother or sister, or maybe Medicare, or maybe you know people who have lost their jobs and are on food stamps, you will see that it is not easy. \u00a0President Clinton was the last president to balance the budget and he did it when the economy was doing well.<\/em><\/p>\n This game is very basic, but it’s purpose is to show that you can’t ignore the facts and \u00a0just chant slogans and wave your arms around and hope to solve the country’s problems, which is what way too many supposed grownups are doing in Washington and especially on TV.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There’s been so much talk about deficits and the budget, I’ve decided to come up with a visual Federal Budget Planner, using basic stuff you can find around the house so that children and students can understand what the grownups, … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n