What to do with a surplus

[question everything]

Of course, the Republicans want to "give it back" to the taxpayers.

This was before we came, but I seem to remember that Venutra did the same thing, only to be faced with a recession and a deficit shortly after. Did he?

[hollysmom]

1. invest in infrastructure

[Sherman A1]

2. Agreed

And by doing so, it is going back to the taxpayers by the benefit of the roads, bridges or whatever is built. 👍

[question everything]

4. But also save something for a rainy day

We all know that the economy is a cyclical process. No one can tell what event or events will occur that will throw us back into a recession with a double hits of lower revenues and more people in need of help.

Yes, invest in infrastructure but save some.

[hollysmom]

5. paying for infrastructure will be putting money away for a rainy day - if it breaks down

we have to borrow to pay for it. Less borrow, less future debt

[tech3149]

6. Agreed! Invest and re-invest

The returns will be much greater in the long run (so long as it is spent wisely).
As a nation we have the disadvantage of not having the infrastructure being destroyed during the last World War. It was a significant advantage until the 70's since we were the major producing nation.
By that point the Marshall Plan had done its work and started the reconstruction and had rebuilt with the current technology or planning toward the technology of the future.
Meanwhile in the US we were happy with what we had because it had worked so well and helped us win the war (or so we told ourselves).
Even though the concept of ISDN was developed by the US it was most easily implemented in nations that had a newer more substantial infrastructure.
I pay about what what most in this country for "broadband" internet from a local provider. It pisses me off that it costs so much but these people were really forward thinking in the way they do business.
They were a local telco who held on to their CO equipment long past the point it should have been in a museum. Their choice on new central office equipment gave them the capabilities of providing higher speed (DSL) internet at a reasonable cost. I even could provide a game server and network hub because the SDSL cost was only a few percentage points above the basic.
Back in 2012 they started the change to FTH (fiber to the home) and I saw there was no choice but to support it and pay for it.
So it's been a couple of years and I'm happy with the change for the most part but I really loved my copper pair.

[glinda]

3. Infrastructure and

environmental with also green jobs. I would include the Ag sector and banning pesticides/GMO seeds and going permaculture and organic making those jobs far more attractive also.

[Jenoch]

7. I was no fan of Ventura.

However, he has been falsely credited with returning the budget surplus when he was governor. He sent some 'Jesse checks' but he did not refund all of the surplus that he said would do. Also, his rebate checks had nothing to do with the recession that came after 911.

Jesse was a September 10th kind pf governor. As long as the economy was ok, we could afford to have him as governor. When the economy turned to shit, it was obvious he was in over his head.

By the way, Minnesota never has actual 'deficit' spending because there is a state law that requires a balanced budget. There can be some accounting trickery, but no actual deficit spending.

[glinda]

8. I guess how do they get by with running Ads to tell people to sign their Petition

to "give back the surplus". If they are in debt....who is funding this? The Kochs?