Federal Debt? Deficit? Who cares?
Let's put it in perspective... 1 trillion seconds, per a time.com article is 32,000 years. That means, putting the current federal debt in terms of time - it would be 448,000 YEARS. That's counting SECONDS people!
The deficit is the amount of money the federal government spends BEYOND it's means - like putting it on a credit card if you don't have the cash - each year.
The debt is the total accrual of the deficits - so all of your credit cards and interest, added up over the years.
President Obama said American families need to live within their means, then his annual budget proposal added 1.3 trillion dollars to the deficit. That's adding 41,600 YEARS!
A 20 year old family member said to me "Who cares about the debt? It doesn't affect me. We'll never have to pay it back". Do you feel this way? Do you believe that the deficit and the debt do not affect you?
Republicans in Congress proposed a federal budget cutting $61 Billion from the federal spending this year. Democrats countered with $6 Billion in cuts. Neither side agreed. Democrats suggested meeting in the middle and came back with $10 Billion in cuts. What do you want your government to do?
Interesting about the 20 year old family member. Guess they don't care where their current taxes are being spend either, nor do they care they will have to work twice as hard as their parents to make half the income.
ReplyDeleteGovernment wasn't supposed to be the nanny for mankind. It was supposed to ensure we had a country in which we could be businessmen, preachers, teachers, mothers, fathers, in essence have the freedom to be. Yet government today gets involved in the very basic decisions of our lives.
Taxes are necessary. Fees are necessary but there must be a check 'n' balance on the system. A growing deficit maybe necessary right now, but I'd have to see some pretty darn good arguments and facts for that one. The government should have to live like a U.S. citizen for a year - pay your bills or be thrown out of your home. (Wouldn't that be a sight to see.)
I'm not a R/D/I/L/G...and whatever other alphabet soup initial you want. I just believe that you work hard, earn a living, live within your means and celebrate everyday of life you have.
Great posts - keep them coming.
I'd argue that you're pretty conservative on the fiscal side of things! Probably just seems like common sense though doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteMy husband often says something like "everyone is a liberal until they get into the real world"... meaning that it's easy to say it doesn't matter until you're out there paying your own way and seeing how little of your money actually makes it onto the check you take home!
Thanks for your comments!