"Michael Cash" <buggeroff@fake.com> wrote in message
news:2l4hc01booonglhsdkrrb3pf74v0ufettn@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 14:27:26 GMT, "necoandjeff" <spam@schrepfer.com>
> brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:
>
> >"Michael Cash" <buggeroff@fake.com> wrote in message
> >news:57hgc0l56t3p9k7p9kj8kg5neg3o1cc9n3@4ax.com...
> >> On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 18:15:00 -0500, "John W." <worthj1970@yahoo.com>
> >> brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:
> >>
> >> >necoandjeff wrote:
> >> >> "John W." <worthj1970@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> >> >> news:40C72CFB.4010507@yahoo.com...
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>>>Non Morning.  I loved his Spitting Image puppet, it was and prob
will
> >be
> >> >>>
> >> >> the
> >> >>
> >> >>>>only way I'll remember him.
> >> >>>>He seemed a nice enuff bloke, shame it didnt rub off on the last 2
USA
> >> >>>
> >> >> have
> >> >>
> >> >>>>sporned.
> >> >>>
> >> >>>Three. Though Clinton was a good President; he's the one that got us
> >out
> >> >>>of debt.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Balancing the budget is not the same as paying off the national
debt...
> >> >>
> >> >Working on an annual surplus is a good start.
> >>
> >> Why should the government have a surplus?
> >
> >Because that's the only way to pay down the national debt.
>
> If it actually gets paid out to lower the national debt, then how is
> it a surplus?

It is a surplus until it gets used to pay the national debt (or returned to
the taxpayers in the form of tax cuts or spent on more government programs),
and it is referred to as surplus because what the government does with it is
essentially discretionary.

Jeff