Originally posted by mietla
I have no problem with balancing the budget, and I would be willing go forgo my tax cut to do that, but... It will never, ever work. As soon as you give them a extra penny in order to decrease the deficit, they'll piss it away on some other very important project (like study of the sexual habits of a rat, or some important art exhibit involving excrement) and keep the deficit intact.
If you think of, the deficit and a massive debt seems to be the only thing that seems to slow Congress' will to spend.
Don't know why, but it works.
Think of it this way, mietla. One of the above responses cited someone with $70k gross, making home and car payments & so on. They favorably compared this situation to the federal debt. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Here's why.
Mr. $70k gross has his debt under control. He knows that in X years his home will be paid out; he knows that in Y years his car will be out. While his gross is approximately the same, his total liability is decreasing. He is making periodic payments towards a profitable future.
The federal deficit is accelerating (and has been for most of Bush's term.) We are no longer at a point where we can see the federal deficit being
reduced, much less when it will be paid off.
Fully 17% of our tax revenue is required to service the interest on our federal deficit. When you add the insult that the federal deficit is actually increasing, it seems clear to me that a massive financial adjustment of some type is store for the USA.
All of us are familiar with individuals who spend more than they make. They borrow from banks until the banks won't lend more; they max their credit cards out. Eventually, they lose their house and car.
I'm not sure what the federal equivalent is of losing a house or car, but I'll bet me and you won't like it.
American politicians (both democrats and republicans) have forgotten that all financial institutions, including the USA's ability to generate revenue (taxes) have limits. Our ability to fight wars, explore space, maintain surplus military establishments is limited.
We're a rich nation and we can do a lot, but we do have limits. Providing tax cuts while the federal deficit is accelerating reminds me of a bankrupt guy taking his last credit card, withdrawing all possible cash and giving it to his friends under the theory that someone will like him because of this and help him out.
curly