Online Challenge Spotlights Federal Budget

California based Next-10 is putting the online federal budget pen in the hands of ordinary people. The organization has run the California Budget project since 2005, updating the choices facing state lawmakers each year. The federal budget challenge asks visitors to make budget decisions about things like medicare, defense spending, and social security. The idea is for people to see the impact of their decisions will increase understanding about what's at stake. "We hope that they'll come away a better understanding. And also being more informed about some of these choices that we need to make over the next ten years," said Noel Perry, founder of Next 10. This is the second time a federal budget challenge is available online. Next 10 is working with the Concord Coalition on the project. Both groups are non partisan.