[CoffeeDregs]

I agree that it could get fairly complicated but these seem like the two propositions to me:

Un-normalized: $6T + interpretation + understanding + doubt that it's really $6T.

Normalized: $60k (get the GAO to provide a standardized number) + interpretation + understanding.

I get that it's imperfect but I have a hard time understanding how the "un-normalized" version is more-perfect or more comprehensible than the "normalized" version.

I suspect politicians would hate my suggestion: they've acclimated us to nonsense numbers. Per Dirksen (maybe): “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money." Again, I'm not pro/con high-speed rail but: CA probably has 15M taxpayers; estimates of high-speed rail ranged from $30,000M-$100,000M; how in the world was a CA taxpayer to recoup $3,000-$10,000 of cost? Put in those terms, it's a lot easier for me to think about the proposition.

I definitely think a Covid bailout was necessary. I do have some questions about where my $60k went...