# I can fix the federal budget! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 29, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449 "2012-12-29T01:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/1 "2012-12-29T01:47:49Z")
Simple; Instead of facing this huge problem annually, we do it quarterly, in the last month of each quarter. And all has to be resolved by the fourth Tuesday of that quarter. And a progress report has to be made public each night of the proceedings. There ya go! Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/2 "2012-12-29T12:49:51Z")
So you think if these guys can’t do their job once a year, they’ll do it 4 times a year instead?? Frankly, I think they all need to be fired. But that’ll never happen because while they’re all a bunch of bums, \*my \*representatives are really great and I won’t vote them out… And so it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/3 "2012-12-29T13:34:53Z")
I think they shouldn’t get their salary or expenses for any day that a budget isn’t in force. AND they shouldn’t get credit for any days against their ‘retirement’ packages… so if they want to work for a year without a budget, fine and dandy because it doesn’t cost us anything to pay them for the time they’re wasting. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/4 "2012-12-29T13:45:59Z")
Your plan **does** have the positive feature of keeping the “decision makers” out of our hair by making them devote all of their energy to squabbling amongst themselves all the time… 🙂 > [@Mark Twain](#): > > “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/5 "2012-12-29T13:48:59Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > So you think if these guys can’t do their job once a year, they’ll do it 4 times a year instead?? > > Frankly, I think they all need to be fired. But that’ll never happen because while they’re all a bunch of bums, \*my \*representatives are really great and I won’t vote them out… And so it goes. They would have only 1/4 the business each time. I’ve finally learned to pay all my bills when they’re due or before, depending on how they’re billed. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/6 "2012-12-29T14:12:34Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > They would have only 1/4 the business each time. I’ve finally learned to pay all my bills when they’re due or before, depending on how they’re billed. But this plan is quadrupling the opportunities for Congress to screw things up. How is that a good idea? ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/7 "2012-12-29T15:35:17Z")
It seems to me that the OP is suggesting the government operate like a publicly run company, at least in this case. \ -D/a ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/8 "2012-12-29T17:19:26Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > It seems to me that the OP is suggesting the government operate like a publicly run company, at least in this case. > > \ > > -D/a I didn’t think of it that way, but that would be close. Except that there would be no profit/loss factor. Only credit/debit with a surplus as a buffer. More like a household I guess. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/9 "2012-12-29T17:22:01Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > So you think if these guys can’t do their job once a year, they’ll do it 4 times a year instead?? > > Frankly, I think they all need to be fired. But that’ll never happen because while they’re all a bunch of bums, \*my \*representatives are really great and I won’t vote them out… And so it goes. My representative _IS_ a bum and I voted against him, for all the good that it did. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/10 "2012-12-29T17:26:51Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > But this plan is quadrupling the opportunities for Congress to screw things up. How is that a good idea? The Congress is a problem we need to fix separately. A little more power to the present for example. Something like “final say” in situations like we now find ourselves in. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/11 "2012-12-29T17:29:14Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > The Congress is a problem we need to fix separately. A little more power to the present for example. Something like “final say” in situations like we now find ourselves in. Nuke 'em from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/12 "2012-12-29T17:32:03Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > My representative _IS_ a bum and I voted against him, for all the good that it did. 😛 And so it goes, huh. Thing is, you did vote. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/13 "2012-12-29T17:35:22Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > The Congress is a problem we need to fix separately. A little more power to the present for example. Something like “final say” in situations like we now find ourselves in. Crap, I meant the “president”. Crap! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/14 "2012-12-29T17:39:20Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Nuke 'em from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure. You do realize we are being watched. (i don’t know tht guy) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/15 "2012-12-29T18:04:44Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > I think they shouldn’t get their salary or expenses for any day that a budget isn’t in force. AND they shouldn’t get credit for any days against their ‘retirement’ packages… so if they want to work for a year without a budget, fine and dandy because it doesn’t cost us anything to pay them for the time they’re wasting. Ok, my lobby group will pay the salaries of those holding out for the sake of my interests. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-fix-the-federal-budget/645449/16 "2013-01-01T00:35:47Z")
We really need a new constitution. Almost forgot how to spell that.