I fail to recognize why we have budget "surpluses" and "deficits" in the first place.
When we are deficit what are we, as US citizens, not paying for? Where does my dollar (in fractions) go to? If I paid the rightful and appropriate portion of my wages, then where is the extra spending coming from? Where in Congress were passed these bills that exceeded the bounds of the budget?
From a surplus, is there a legal amendment or law that says, either way, the government's responsibility in the handling of my money (above the amount that has the government breaking even)? If I go to a store and purchase items and then pay for them, do I not get my money back that exceeds the total owed to the store? And in the budget (any budget for that matter), isn't there a line item that takes a portion of my tax dollars to pay the interest/principle on the government's excess (deficit from previous year(s))? I do not understand the angry vociferation of particular groups when someone says that the excess payment should be given back to the payee. To me, holding a surplus of money above the budget encourages wasteful spending practices and no budget constraint.
Because of greed, and private/special interests there are no serious talks or examinations of our budgeting process (outside the GAO). If the GAO is given police-like authority to render penalties or judgements, then many congressmen would be more accountable for their actions. And could not a line-item veto by the president allow for the limitation of pork projects/riders to existent bills? By vetoing specific budget items, the President pushes back on the Congress to override his veto - thereby establishing a true need in restoring the vetoed items.
Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), these small measures will not keep out human nature. It is up to us however, to elect those officials that can look dispassionately as possible when funding the US budget needs.
And is it not prudent to provide exact figures of budget excess or shortage as it happens, not as "projected" or "estimated"? Every year I project the Cubs will win the World Series, but you don't see anyone seriously taking my words as fact. The only reason we should ever look at projections is to estimate where we can fix/repair/enhance those areas that have the greatest contrast.