The one time America had a surplus , do you remember?

[Figarosmom]

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And this was with a social safety net. So I call bullshit that we can't afford it.

[ffr]

1. I do, because I lived it. That was the period started by the Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993

passed without a single republican vote and only passing because Al Gore cast the deciding vote. It set in place republicans, under Newt Gingrich, shutting the government down as a choice to score political points, meanwhile Clinton forged ahead with progressive tax policies that turned deficits into surpluses. At the end of the tenure, Americans rewarded republicans in 2000, instead of Al Gore. Sound familiar? It should. In 2024, Americans did it again, not by rewarding democrats for leading us out of a strong recession started by Donald J. Trump, they instead re-elected the asshole, Donald J. Trump and the GOP, who made it their entire purpose to deny anything Biden wanted.

America, you could have had no deficit and a tax structure that could have lined our streets with gold and rewarded us with almost no taxes. But instead, the voters keep electing republicans who make things worse for everyone, every day moving forward.

[Figarosmom]

3. Yep. And it's hard for me to realize

How many people in this country cut off their nose to spite their face. And do it multiple times.

[AZProgressive]

2. Bush used the surplus as an excuse to do a tax cut for the weathy

Now they no longer have that as an excuse but they still pass tax cuts for the wealthy every time they're in power.

[Figarosmom]

4. Yep. I don't really get people that vote Republicans

And are poor or lower middle class.

[betsuni]

5. The Democratic status quo of steady progress and optimism.