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New York Times Budget Puzzle

sirkickyass

sirkickyass

Moderator Emeritus
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So this is a lot of fun. Play the puzzle and post your solutions.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html

This is my solution:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html?choices=82x145l2

The modern right is crazy enough that even though it a) doesn't eliminate ag. subsidies, b) doesn't lead to massive troop reductions, c) doesn't raise middle class taxes, d) doesn't increase medicare or social security eligibility ages, e) doesn't cut foreign aid programs, f) caps medicare growth and g) more than half the "fix" comes in the form of budget cuts rather than tax increases, the plan is politically untenable.

Post your solutions and why they're superior.
 
Sirkickyass said:
...Post your solutions and why they're superior.
Click to expand...

"Why am I superior? Let me count the ways..."
by moevillini barrett brownnose

Why am I superior? Let me count the ways.
I am superior to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I am superior to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I am freely superior, as men, women and those in between strive for Right;
I am purely superior, as they turn from Praise.
I am superior with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I am superior in everything I seemed to lose
With those lost saints, --- I am superior with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, as God chose,
I shall be even more superior after death.


https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html?choices=h26l2kqm
 
Last edited:
Payroll tax: Subject some incomes above $106,000 to tax

When the payroll tax – which finances Social Security and Medicare – was created, it covered 90 percent of all income. Today, with a ceiling at $106,800, it covers closer to 80 percent. This option would gradually raise the ceiling, until 90 percent of income was again subject to the tax.
Click to expand...

so correct me if I'm wrong, but does this imply that 20% of all wage earners earn $106,800 or more per year?

I wonder what the ceiling would be if it were 90% today.
 
moevillini said:
so correct me if I'm wrong, but does this imply that 20% of all wage earners earn $106,800 or more per year?
Click to expand...

You are wrong. Roughly 80% of all wages are covered, not 80% of all wage-earners.

For the record, I didn't select that one out of pure selfishness but I do believe that it's fundamentally unfair and would completely support someone who wanted to raise taxes that way.
 
moevillini said:
"Why am I superior? Let me count the ways..."
by moevillini barrett brownnose

Why am I superior? Let me count the ways.
I am superior to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I am superior to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I am freely superior, as men, women and those in between strive for Right;
I am purely superior, as they turn from Praise.
I am superior with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I am superior in everything I seemed to lose
With those lost saints, --- I am superior with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, as God chose,
I shall be even more superior after death.


https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html?choices=h26l2kqm
Click to expand...

but my dad could beat up your mom.
 
I don't know what's more sad, people acting like GM's and making trades on ESPN's trade machine or people playing politician games on nytimes.com trying to unscrew the U.S and act like the President. lol
 
Sirkickyass said:
You are wrong. Roughly 80% of all wages are covered, not 80% of all wage-earners....
Click to expand...

well what's REALLY sad Archie, is the amount of time I spent trying to figure this out. What does it mean, actually, 80% of all wages?

anyhow, I did find some interesting links:
Contribution and Benefit base : https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/cbb.html
(from 1937-1950, it was $3,000; in 1971 it was $9,000; in 1986 it was $42,000 and since 2009 it's been $106,800)

Average & Median Amounts of Net compensation: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/central.html
(average compensation has gone from approx. $20,000 to $39,000 from 1990 to present, and increase of 93.6% while median compensation has gone from $14,500 to $26,200 over the same period, an increase of 81%)

also: https://www.fairmark.com/retirement/socsec/social-security-tax.htm and https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/08/social-security-benefits-and-maximum.html
 
C l u t c H 385 said:
Cut ALL foreign aid.
Click to expand...

No joke, what's up with these moderate choices? This game is meant to be played by people that like getting their junk touched at airports, not real budget cutters. I would gut this government like I was Mitt Romney gutting companies at Bain Capital.
 
C l u t c H 385 said:
Cut ALL foreign aid.
Click to expand...

Cut Gordon Hayward. He's a bust.

Then tax all sports owners $1 billion each. If they have the money to be handing out $20M contracts, then they have the money to help reduce the deficit, especially if you cap salaries at no more than $500K/per. Hey, if Obama wants to cap what CEO's make, then it should certianly apply to athletes. And if they don't like it, just have them go play for the Shanghai Dragons or Tokyo Fighting Carp.
 
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