Government Lies?

[Coffey, Mitchell R]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tyrone Slothrop [mailto:lieutenanttyroneslothrop at yahoo.com]
>Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 8:42 AM
>To: pynchon
>Subject: Government Lies?
>
>
>Do we really have a budget surplus? In the general
>fund the US we collected $1,364 and spent $1,392. A
>deficit of $28. For Social Secruity we collected $239
>more than we returned to the people. This created a
>"surplus" of $212.
>
>All money listed is in billions of dollars.
>
>But the money is Social Secruity is not the
>government's money. It has to be paid back. Can we
>really call this a surplus?
>
>Let me know if I am wrong.

All the government's money, less the surplus, has to be paid back to
somebody: employees, contractors, etc.  It's only the surplus that isn't
bugeted to somebody; that's what makes it a surplus.

Mitchell Coffey