SB 8608: National Housing Trust Fund Expansion Act (Passed)

[Mr. Reactionary]

How much funding is currently appropriated for this?

I don't know the exact amount but given the cost I think it's probable the bill is fully funded.

Why do you think that? Did you review any numbers before deciding on the funding source? Or did you just add an unknown variable to bullschit your way past paygo?

[Mr. Reactionary]

How much funding is currently appropriated for this?

I don't know the exact amount but given the cost I think it's probable the bill is fully funded.

Why do you think that? Did you review any numbers before deciding on the funding source? Or did you just add an unknown variable to bullschit your way past paygo?

It's called common sense. It's obvious this passes Paygo, and you should get on and certify that if you're so concerned about this bill rather than sniping at legislators.

Tax adjustments aren't exactly the easiest changes to score, especially when there is a backlog, I have a life and you keep randomly adding them piecemeal to unrelated bills rather than just writing a comprehensive tax reform bill. When I was in the Senate I at least tried to provide some estimate of the net effect of my bills, usually because that data was readily available from the research I put into the bills.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Guys, whether or not this "obviously passes Paygo" I'd still like to know how much is currently appropriated. Are we looking at a 20% increase here? A doubling? A tenfold increase?

Quick GM numbers:

The amount of the trust fund fluctuates by year but usually falls around $200 Million. In 2018 it was an all time high of $267 million, with $174 Million allocated in 2016 and $219 Million in 2017.

This bill would increase the allocation 18.7 fold (1,870%) over 2018 spending and would lock in the new massive spending levels going forward on future budgets.

[Mr. Reactionary]

What Mr R leaves out from his numbers is the context that I believe shows this is a mainstream proposal. Irl, Republican Senators Ron Johnson and Mike Crapo proposed an amendment that would increase funding for the trust fund to $3.75 billion, this is similar to that though admittedly somewhat greater(I do consider myself more left-wing than Ron Johnson and Mike Crapo). link As I've explained, this would be a worthwhile increase and this program serves an important mission in providing affordable housing. Furthermore, $5 billion isn't that much in the grand scheme of the wider budget, and given the original funding for this is rather small, using percentages does not tell you everything. This program is good value for money-better than most, and Senators can rest assured this is not some crazy tax and spend pie in the sky liberal thinking here but an eminnently reasonable, mainstream and affordable proposal.

Out of curiosity can you link to the study demonstrating that this is good value for the money? It very well might be, but a GAO study showing this would be helpful.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Good to see our attendance has improved.

Double PM/Discord DMing plus some outside help from I think Peanut and others have had a tremendous impact.

Also before I would just PM them to review the noticeboard update with the priority color coded. Now I am spoon feeding the direct vote link vote by vote. This means PM spamming is occurring as well spoon feeding.

No shame in spoon feeding the kids.