The Election is Over – Will Tough Fiscal Decisions be Made?

Okay, the election is over and Congress has a more conservative slant. That sounds good, but they still need to step up to the plate and make some tough financial decisions. If you click on the link below; it will take you to a chart that indicates we have a spending problem, not a tax revenue problem. What might we do?

Our economic woes have been in the making for years. Like the straw that broke the camel’s back, the housing crisis, not our only problem, seemed to be that straw. We now need to chip away, wherever possible, to correct the problem. Chipping away means making tough decisions and not allowing any savings to seem too small. (A Billion Dollars seems small to a politician dealing with a Trillion Dollar budget, but it is still a large amount. After all, 100,000 families need to pay $10,000 each, in taxes, to fund a Billion Dollars.)

Let’s start with freezing the budget. Not adding one dime to any program, earmark, entitlement, or project. Along with the budget freeze, initiate a directive that EVERY government agency will have their budget cut by 5%, each year, for the next 5 years. Let productivity, innovation, smarter decision making, and the elimination of, “nice” but not absolutely needed programs take the lead. Let’s try this until we find that government cannot operate. Once that happens, we can add resources to those programs that are failing. (Actually failing, not just complaining.

Earmarks should not be included in proposed bills. Each earmark should be reported to the public (transparency) and should include: The sponsor, the amount, the purpose and the local or national benefit to the public. Earmarks should be voted on separately, based on merits only. A bill coming before Congress should have a theme, an easily distinguishable commonality. Any proposals, additions, or amendments must match the theme of the proposed bill. If not, a separate vote is essential.

Debt Ceiling - The amount of debt the Government may have at any time. It’s hard to consider the debt ceiling a real number. It is constantly raised by the sitting Congress. It is often used for political purposes. Since it is the tax payer’s money; the taxpayers should vote on whether to allow the debt ceiling to be raised. There should be a box on every year’s the tax return; YES or NO.

I will have more comments on upcoming posts. Remember to click on the link illustrating spending vs. tax revenue.
http://www.heritage.org/budgetchartbook/growth-federal-spending-revenue

Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
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