Has there ever been a president that HASN'T raised the deficit? If so, who was it and how was it done (if you know)?

There was no deficit when Andrew Jackson left office

Yes. Most recently, President Bill Clinton. In 1993, when Clinton took office, the federal budget deficit was 3.9% of GDP. By the end of his second term, there was a budget surplus of 2.4% of GDP.

Actually, I don’t want my government to have a significant surplus.

It’s our money that we should be able to use as we see fit.

@Michael I mentioned that to someone once and they said it’s not that the budget was actually at a surplus, it was simply balanced… or something like that (it was a long time ago that this was talked about). Do you have any idea what that person was getting at??

@proXXi Actually what??

Could you refine your question @jennincincy ?

@proXXi on your second post you said “actually”... just wondering what you were saying that about.

The word “actually” isn’t critical to my post. Ignore it.

@proXXi Ok… just wondering why that was all you typed.

Ohh, I posted just the first word first to get in my post as soon as possible.

@jennincincy I’m not sure what your friend was talking about. In 2000, the federal government collected $236 billion more than it spent. That’s a surplus. A budget in perfect balance would mean revenues exactly equaling outlays. That hasn’t ever happened (at least not since 1940). The closest was in 1960 when the federal government collected $300 million more than it spent.

@proXXi Gotcha!!! Thanks for explaining… I’m still new to all this… lol!!

@Michael Hmmmm… ok. This guy made me feel like an idiot when I brought Clinton’s actions up. How unfair is that?? LOL!!

There’s no such thing as fairness.

Attempts by authorities to make things “fair” actually makes the situation worse.

@proXXi Hahahaha! So true.

Hey Loli : )

@proXXi
I must object to that. I am pretty sure that the justice system that at least attempts to be fair is a whole lot better than vigilante style lynch mobs.

Agreed, I can comforably say that in most cases Justice is better likely to come from the Justice System.

However, when one claims that legislation is needed in the name of fairness or even has the word “fairness” in it (The Fairness Doctrine) I’m immediately and very skeptical.