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Igel

(35,300 posts)
11. That's precisely the point.
Mon Dec 31, 2012, 09:11 PM
Dec 2012

If you anticipate income and make a budget based upon it, you expect your family to stay within those limits. Esp. if you say, "This month nobody will incur more than $100 dollars in credit card debt that we can't pay off at the end of the month."

If something interrupts the income, you don't expect your wife or kid or other to say, "But I'm budgeted for this much money. I'm going to spend it, put $400 on the credit card, and you damned will accept the credit card debt because you already said I could."

Except you didn't say so. So there's authorized spending, assuming the revenues hold true. Then there's the credit card, for purchases beyond revenue projections or in the event of a revenue drop off. You want both.

You sort of want a Deist approach to budgeting. Somebody makes the budget and then stands back, unable to say anything about it and really disinterested in what happens because then only the spenders have any real say. It's a nice way of abrogating Congressional authority and making the president's post even more imperial.

As for the rest, "public debt" has a definition, and yours ain't it. It actually has two definitions, and I don't know if the only important Constitutional law experts (viz. SCOTUS) have weighed in as to which definition applies here. Def. 1: Debt issued by the Treasury dept. and held by the public. Def. 2: Debt issued by any branch of government, and held either by the public or by another branch of government.

Important distinction there. But it's still the case that a lot of debts aren't "public debt."

I agree the whole debt ceiling charade seems unconstitutional to me. grantcart Dec 2012 #1
Congress hasn't passed a budget in years Yo_Mama Dec 2012 #16
Well a lot of the nations' leading legal scholars disagree with you grantcart Dec 2012 #18
Youngstown Yo_Mama Dec 2012 #19
k&r... spanone Dec 2012 #2
So this is the law and the POTUS should just enforce it? Deep13 Dec 2012 #3
Thank you, louis Cha Dec 2012 #4
Damn good point! annabanana Dec 2012 #5
Ah, but I've been told today on DU that the constitution should be ignored n2doc Dec 2012 #6
It is a document that is subject to interpretation and change louis c Dec 2012 #7
i don't think that I'd note it works FreeJoe Dec 2012 #8
The debt ceiling increases are for all past spending. louis c Dec 2012 #9
That's precisely the point. Igel Dec 2012 #11
But I bet if the budget doesn't balance, you still have to eat louis c Dec 2012 #12
That is the weirdest reasoning I have ever seen Yo_Mama Dec 2012 #17
Come on louis c Jan 2013 #23
No, purchases on credit is debt. Igel Jan 2013 #35
Are you kidding me? louis c Dec 2012 #13
Yes, I probably will. Igel Jan 2013 #36
"National Debt" and "Public Debt" are all inclusive louis c Jan 2013 #37
I think it's a lot simpler than the 14th amendment jeff47 Dec 2012 #10
+1. nt bemildred Dec 2012 #14
I think you are quite wrong Yo_Mama Dec 2012 #15
Congress continues to make laws that the Government must pay louis c Jan 2013 #22
Why I disagree with your reasoning Jim Lane Jan 2013 #30
Congress passes laws that must be obeyed louis c Jan 2013 #31
That answers nothing. Jim Lane Jan 2013 #32
From article 9 of the Constitution... Redfairen Jan 2013 #20
The debt ceiling is about "appropriations (already) made by law" louis c Jan 2013 #21
Debt Ceiling buzzroller Jan 2013 #24
Welcome to DU, buzzroller louis c Jan 2013 #25
I am hoping to hear this from the Obama administration buzzroller Jan 2013 #26
Some questions exboyfil Jan 2013 #27
I think that he should just ignore the debt ceiling louis c Jan 2013 #28
Can you get a ruling without standing? exboyfil Jan 2013 #29
It's ripe for a challenge, the debt ceiling is. DevonRex Jan 2013 #33
The time is now. Faryn Balyncd Jan 2013 #34
Get on board, this discussion will be the all the rage in the coming weeks louis c Jan 2013 #38
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