tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173950.post2829957706687749157..comments2024-03-29T03:57:26.974-04:00Comments on Grim's Hall: Now You're TalkingGrimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07543082562999855432noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173950.post-24783982460541099142019-01-06T19:21:11.418-05:002019-01-06T19:21:11.418-05:00I think the thing to do is to try to fix the impor...I think the thing to do is to try to fix the important problems that come up with non-governmental solutions. Everything important can't require an act of Congress. It may be that it'll prove to be that nothing important does.Grimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07543082562999855432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173950.post-8183217376910332762019-01-05T11:41:41.507-05:002019-01-05T11:41:41.507-05:00As far as I can tell from a brief Bing search and ...As far as I can tell from a brief Bing search and a little reading, it is possible to make a directed gift to the US Treasury for the purpose of reducing the public debt. Any other gifts <a href="https://fiscal.treasury.gov/public/gifts-to-government.html" rel="nofollow">are considered</a> "an unconditional gift to the government" and presumably are as likely to be used for, say, Mueller's investigation as for paying the border patrol.<br /><br />In thinking about an extended shutdown, I thought that perhaps it would help with the public debt. I'm pretty sure, though, that the essential/entitlement aspects of the government are so huge that some saving on salaries will be a drop in the bucket. Still, a journey of a thousand miles and all that.Elisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06594477709835944165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173950.post-86819423135912374062019-01-04T22:58:38.618-05:002019-01-04T22:58:38.618-05:00Certainly, some of the shutdown functions are unne...Certainly, some of the shutdown functions are unneeded in the short term but at least useful, some necessary, in the longer term. But far from all of them.<br /><br />We already can donate to the US Treasury, as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates and another (Steyer?) famously refused to do when Buffet was calling for higher taxes on the rich. However, I don't know if donations to Treasury can be targeted to specific purposes.<br /><br />Eric HinesE Hineshttp://aplebessite.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173950.post-56522719771278793142019-01-04T20:43:31.394-05:002019-01-04T20:43:31.394-05:00I'd kick into a private funding campaign for A...I'd kick into a private funding campaign for Antarctic facilities - and into one to keep border patrol and military paid. Maybe someone can start a GoFundMe type campaign and let us donate to the area(s) of government we're willing to support. It would be an interesting look at what government responsibilities we support when we can actually see the money coming from us directly to a government function instead of getting lost in the noise.Elisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06594477709835944165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173950.post-71759309383211330962019-01-04T17:32:56.703-05:002019-01-04T17:32:56.703-05:00Some, at least, of the Antarctic facilities, are c...Some, at least, of the Antarctic facilities, are considered essential. As in, people die, or $400M or more of stuff goes to ruin, if you don't keep it maintained.<br />One of those corner cases...jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01792036361407527304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173950.post-81856905570307994572019-01-04T16:58:56.147-05:002019-01-04T16:58:56.147-05:00The shutdown is certainly contributing to the iden...The shutdown is certainly contributing to the identification of government facilities, government jobs and job-holders, contractors, and back-office personnel that are truly superfluous.<br /><br />Eric HinesE Hineshttp://aplebessite.comnoreply@blogger.com