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2 sets of Govt books ? - 12/26/2008 7:12:03 PM

pahunkboy

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2 sets of Govt books ?

Where all the money goes

Two sets of books

The government take over
of the US economy
This video was originally produced on January 8, 2000 by Walter Burien.

The government, at all levels, is running a very simple financial con game.

If something produces revenue - like bridges, highways, ports, or successful investments etc - that revenue goes into off budget slush funds.

If it costs money, it's charged to the public via taxes.

This is being done at all levels of government - including state, county, city, and school districts.

The total "off budget" funds held by the various governments amount to trillions of dollars.

The real accounting is contained in what's called Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) which are not only not made available to the public, their very existence is never mentioned by the news media.

Why?

Trillions of dollars pays for a lot of corruption.

Every time an elected official stands before you and tells you the government is out of money and they have to raise taxes, he or she is lying through their teeth

you can view the vid here
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/512.html

/snip

this does make one think. any thoughts on the 2 sets of books theory?

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RE: 2 sets of Govt books ? - 12/26/2008 8:38:11 PM

Termyn8or

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Old news actually. However you do have to use the FOIA to get it, or better yet pry it from their cold dead fingers.

T

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RE: 2 sets of Govt books ? - 12/27/2008 5:16:04 AM

pahunkboy

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A few of the stimulous things, would actually be off budget , on this other set of books. fannie mae/fha, which I thought was around 5 trillion of the new supposed deficet.

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RE: 2 sets of Govt books ? - 12/27/2008 6:10:50 AM

MmeGigs

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pahunkboy
The real accounting is contained in what's called Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) which are not only not made available to the public, their very existence is never mentioned by the news media.

Why?

Mr Burien is mistaken.  CAFRs have always been available to the public.  You don't have to use a FOIA to get them. They're readily available public information - all you have to do is ask. You probably don't even have to do that - a lot of them are online. Do a search for "Comprehensive annual financial report" and you'll turn up all kinds of them. As for their existence never being mentioned by the news media, I suspect that the media and public in general don't pay much attention to them because they're boring - there's rarely anything in them that folks consider newsworthy.   Around here they not only mention them, they print chunks of them in the paper.

I think Mr. Burien is mistaken about other things, too. He's right that revenues from govt operations don't go into the general fund. They can be moved into the general fund, but govt accounting rules require that these revenues are tracked separately. He's wrong about them going into "off budget slush funds". Generally, revenues generated by govt depts are used to fund the operations of the dept that's generating the revenue. Excess revenues (in govt it's not called "profit") go into reserves. I suspect that the reserves are the "off budget" funds that he's upset about.  Local govts have to have a certain level of reserves.  Having a reserve assures that they've got the necessary cash flow to meet their obligations (they can't take out short term loans to fund operating expenses the way that businesses can), and it gets them a good bond rating so that if they have to borrow funds for a big project they can issue the debt at a favorable rate. It also gives them some breathing room when there are cuts in local govt aid from the state (as is happening now) and assures that if there's some kind of disaster they'll have some funds to enable them to respond.

I heard the Coon Rapids, MN (metro burb) city manager on the radio yesterday saying that they try to keep reserves at about 45% of their annual budget. I don't know if that 45% figure is common, but if you think about the number of counties, cities and school districts there are in the US, each with its own reserve fund of 25%-50% of their annual budget, I'm sure that Mr. Burien is right that there are trillions of dollars in reserves out there. He's completely wrong in saying it's a "con game".   It's proper financial management. If they weren't doing it, we'd be experiencing a financial crisis every time things went slightly awry and calling for the heads of the idiots who failed to plan ahead.

< Message edited by MmeGigs -- 12/27/2008 6:12:29 AM >

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RE: 2 sets of Govt books ? - 12/27/2008 6:22:29 AM

Lorr47

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I do not doubt that there are two sets of books. If you think in a very innovative manner you may be able to trip them up at times. Do not think that all governmental employees are in a conspiracy. Many employees file papers and put in forty hours without any hidden agenda. In fact, if you get to know some of them and are polite, they are often the best source of general information. For example some in local government have told me indirectly when a file changes. If one of them is cooperative never let on to anyone else. You certainly will lose an important source of information if you speak about cooperation. and get them fired.

Sometimes FOIA requests to different agencies will show a difference in files indicating what they are trying to hide. Sometimes FOIA requests of the same file over time shows you the type of paperwork they are trying to hide. Sometimes just the lack of certain paperwork will direct you in the right direction. What I am trying to say is the absence of paperwork often tells you volumes so do not become disappointed if the file does not show what you think should be there.

When my mother died, I made a request under the FOIA. Years later I was told by a governmental employee that the file changed. I made another request. The file had changed. Armed with both files, I went to the then police chief and asked "how come." He did not want trouble (he was not in on it) so I got everything and more just so I did not make a stink. That is another point. Once you give your word when you make a deal for full disclosure do not break the deal. I could have sued but I told the innocent chief I wouldn't and he forced his minions to give me everthing (more than everything). Since then he has helped when he did not have to. I think it is because I kept my word.

The asses in government you treat as asses. However, you keep your word to. the employees just trying to survive.

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RE: 2 sets of Govt books ? - 12/27/2008 2:50:20 PM

corysub

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If you want to learn just how much of a mess we are in I would recommend the Pete Petersen Foundation for input. David Waler, the former Comptroller of the Currency joined that organization and he knows more about what the real liabilities of the USA are than anyone.. He could not get a hearingwith Congress or the Administration that would address these problems so he resigend and joined Petersen. Their work is not based on a poltical agenda, an election or power...it's based on getting the real word out to the public. You will never see them on the main stream media because they would tear apart both the democrat and republican idiots that we have in Washington these days. We are being governed by politicians who put their political party and politica power above the country..and ahead of the people who pay them....and pay them a raise too at a time when people are losing jobs across the country.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2151085/posts

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RE: 2 sets of Govt books ? - 12/28/2008 6:03:46 AM

MmeGigs

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quote:

ORIGINAL: corysub
We are being governed by politicians who put their political party and politica power above the country..and ahead of the people who pay them....and pay them a raise too at a time when people are losing jobs across the country.

I sure wish that I could disagree with you about this, but I think that at the federal level, and to some extent at the state level, this is way too true.

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