March budget deficit declines to $65.4B

No sense trying refute total cost estimates from government sources. History speaks for itself on that point.

The budget deficit for March showed a dramatic decline as the Obama administration formally entered a lower ultimate cost for the government's $700 billion financial bailout program.

The Treasury Department said the deficit for March totaled $65.4 billion, compared to a $191.6 billion imbalance a year ago. However, $115 billion of that improvement occurred because the administration lowered its estimate of the total costs for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

A little historical perspective on the trends in place.

"The Formula"
US Fiscal Balance vs US Dollar: Federal Government Budget As A % of GDP, 12 Month Moving Average:


US Federal Budget (Surplus or Deficit As A % of GDP, 12 Month Moving Average) and Gold London P.M. Fixed: