I just balanced North Carolina's Budget

[nicomachus]

Okay, this is sort of weird and tacky, but also sort of fun.

North Carolina has come up with a game that allows you to balance their budget and submit suggestions to their governor:

www.governor.state.nc.us/budgetapp/

By releasing 4000 prisoners, cutting off the Head Start program, increasing sales tax and cigarette tax (which is pretty low in NC anyway compared to WA), I was able to create a $35M surplus and only have to cut 2500 jobs from the public safety (mostly prison guards I expect).

[handyman2]

As a resident of NC I appreciate the help. But please figure how to keep those prisoners incarcerated. Our law inforcement and courts are over worked as it is. Thanks for the effort but how about some tweeking somewhere else in the budget. Would be appreciated.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

Here are my numbers:
Deficit: $1,027,200,000
Cuts: $1,272,800,000
New Money: $600,000,000

More BS in my judgement.

[rockon]

Any chance Nic might run for President. At least he got the job done (and it doesn't look like it took long). If you don't like it come up with your own suggestions and present them but git-r-done.

[handyman2]

I think Nic and SF are politicians. Using a double barrelled pencil with their numbers if you ask me.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

I think Nic and SF are politicians. Using a double barrelled pencil with their numbers if you ask me.

Whad'I do? I'm an innocent primate....

[nicomachus]

I just liked clicking the boxes.

[Gardening Grandma]

By releasing 4000 prisoners

You don't live in NC do you ?

[Deleted]

It's not that difficult to balance the budget using that website. You can really do it in about 5 or 6 clicks on the boxes. I came up with a surplus of about $1.6 bln. I pretty much made every service take a 5 or 10% cut. I added 1 student to each class, at all levels. This is simple stuff.

The hard part is getting whiners to quit whining. Everybody would.....and should.....be affected in trying to balance the budget. It's really easy to say the rich deserve to pay more and I deserve to get more....but reality is that everybody should have to realize cuts.

[Deleted]

Feb 23, 2011 15:24:46 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

By releasing 4000 prisoners

You don't live in NC do you ?

You did notice it said "Non-Violent Offenders" correct? There's a big difference.

[jkapp]

Education
Increase all K-12 classes by three students
Eliminate all assistant principals in elementary schools
Flexible reduction of 5 percent
Increase class size by three students
Raise tuition by 20 per hour/$600 per year
Flexible reduction of 10 percent
Raise tuition by $20 per hour/$640 per year

Social Services
Eliminate adult dental and denture services
Realize savings from current initiatives to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse
Reduce community mental health funds by 10 percent
Reduce Smart Start services for children by 10 percent
Increase grant funding for nonprofits that serve the poor and disabled
Reduce rehabilitative services to most severe cases
Reduce child care subsidies by 50 percent
Reduce occupational, speech and audiologic services to most severe cases

Public Safety
Eliminate adult and juvenile crime prevention funds
Reduce court system budget (judges, clerks, prosecutors) by 10 percent
Eliminate prisoner alcohol and substance abuse services

General Government
Lay off three percent state employees

JobsNOW
Eliminate funding for economic development non-profit organizations

Other
Reorganize government by consolidating agencies and programs; privatizing functions; and reducing layers of middle management
Begin charging active employees and retirees a $20 monthly fee for health insurance
Flex reduction of 5 percent for all non education, human service and public safety agencies

There...budget balanced (about $4M surplus for cushion) and 22,100 jobs cut. What this really shows you, though, is just how much of a nanny-state country we have become. When people argue that America is not turning to socialism you can just show this one state's budget!

[Deleted]

Feb 23, 2011 15:39:18 GMT -5 jkapp said:

Education
Increase class size by three students Increase all K-12 classes by three students Eliminate all assistant principals in elementary schools Flexible reduction of 5 percent Increase class size by three students Raise tuition by 20 per hour/$600 per year Flexible reduction of 10 percent Raise tuition by $20 per hour/$640 per year Social Services
Eliminate adult dental and denture services Realize savings from current initiatives to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse Reduce community mental health funds by 10 percent Reduce Smart Start services for children by 10 percent Increase grant funding for nonprofits that serve the poor and disabled Reduce rehabilitative services to most severe cases Reduce child care subsidies by 50 percent Reduce occupational, speech and audiologic services to most severe cases Public Safety
Eliminate adult and juvenile crime prevention funds Reduce court system budget (judges, clerks, prosecutors) by 10 percent Eliminate prisoner alcohol and substance abuse services General Government
Lay off three percent state employees JobsNOW
Eliminate funding for economic development non-profit organizations Other
Reorganize government by consolidating agencies and programs; privatizing functions; and reducing layers of middle management Begin charging active employees and retirees a $20 monthly fee for health insurance Flex reduction of 5 percent for all non education, human service and public safety agencies

There...budget balanced (about $4M surplus for cushion) and 22,100 jobs cut. What this really shows you, though, is just how much of a nanny-state country we have become. When people argue that America is not turning to socialism you can just show this one state's budget!

Good lord.....only $4mil surplus? And 22k jobs lost? How did I have a $1.6bln surplus and 17k job loss?

[jkapp]

Feb 23, 2011 15:41:47 GMT -5 @financialtexan said:

Feb 23, 2011 15:39:18 GMT -5 jkapp said:

Education
Increase class size by three students Increase all K-12 classes by three students Eliminate all assistant principals in elementary schools Flexible reduction of 5 percent Increase class size by three students Raise tuition by 20 per hour/$600 per year Flexible reduction of 10 percent Raise tuition by $20 per hour/$640 per year Social Services
Eliminate adult dental and denture services Realize savings from current initiatives to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse Reduce community mental health funds by 10 percent Reduce Smart Start services for children by 10 percent Increase grant funding for nonprofits that serve the poor and disabled Reduce rehabilitative services to most severe cases Reduce child care subsidies by 50 percent Reduce occupational, speech and audiologic services to most severe cases Public Safety
Eliminate adult and juvenile crime prevention funds Reduce court system budget (judges, clerks, prosecutors) by 10 percent Eliminate prisoner alcohol and substance abuse services General Government
Lay off three percent state employees JobsNOW
Eliminate funding for economic development non-profit organizations Other
Reorganize government by consolidating agencies and programs; privatizing functions; and reducing layers of middle management Begin charging active employees and retirees a $20 monthly fee for health insurance Flex reduction of 5 percent for all non education, human service and public safety agencies

There...budget balanced (about $4M surplus for cushion) and 22,100 jobs cut. What this really shows you, though, is just how much of a nanny-state country we have become. When people argue that America is not turning to socialism you can just show this one state's budget!

Good lord.....only $4mil surplus? And 22k jobs lost? How did I have a $1.6bln surplus and 17k job loss?

I didn't raise any taxes...

[Deleted]

LOL!! Better not ever elect ME!! I fired 22,000 people, but look at my numbers!!
Surplus: $989,200,000 Cuts: $1,654,200,000 New Money: $2,300,000,000
I'd be a real train wreck if I had power.

[Deleted]

I didn't raise any taxes....

Yep...that'd be the difference. However...smokers can deal! ;D
And gamblers....and the poor....and the rich....and....and.....Again....everybody should be hit somewhere. Nobody should get off easy.

[jkapp]

Feb 23, 2011 15:50:02 GMT -5 @financialtexan said:

I didn't raise any taxes....

Yep...that'd be the difference. However...smokers can deal! ;D
And gamblers....and the poor....and the rich....and....and.....Again....everybody should be hit somewhere. Nobody should get off easy.

I thought about that too - especially the smokers and the gambling thing. But with the gambling the wording stated: "regulate" and tax the machines...whenever they add "regulate" that means a lot of the revenue will be offset by the expense of new regulators.

And with the smokers I more wanted to keep that on the side in case it was needed later

[1wisdomseeker]

Instead of a "cut or stay" why can't they just say, "Everyone - absolutely everyone - is going to be cut 10% (or the % needed to balance the budget).
Just about every government organization can be cut 10% without any real deep pain.

[Deleted]

Cigarette taxes seem to go up every few months (exagerration..) It's "for the kids," they say. I love kids and am glad to smoke myself to death for the kids. Will save all those years of being old and costly to others, too. I'm a really good citizen.