As is typical in Washington, there are leaks and hints about the House Republican’s budget proposal that will be unveiled by Paul Ryan and others on Tuesday. Indications are the GOP will call for $4 Trillion in cuts…to be spread over ten years…a decade…one-tenth of a century. If you are mathematically challenged, their numbers reduce annual expenditures by $400 Billion per year…assuming those cuts hold fast (which they will not) for every year. Presently, our annual deficit is $1.65 TRILLION, so even if the Republicans pass their plan and hold true for a decade, the federal debt will explode from $14.3 Trillion to $26.8 Trillion when the decade has passed. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is fiscal responsibility?
A frequent refrain in our public discourse deals with the “unsustainability” of the $14.3 Trillion debt. So $26.8 Trillion ….or more…is more sustainable? That damn “new math” trend that we went through in the past has finally manifested itself in our government “leadership.” It appears to me that the $400 billion in annual cuts are merely buying time. Apparently $400 billion per year for time must be a bargain. The GOP will whine that this is the best they can do given the Democratic Senate and the Democrat at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sorry, O’ Fearful Ones, it is not good enough. They’ll respond that we may face a “shutdown” of the federal government if they “overreach.” My response is that we face a “shutdown” of the federal government sometime within the next ten years because they underperformed. When will banks, nations and investors cease purchasing our debt? Besides…does any sentient person really believe that they will hold the line on the $400 billion annual reduction? Inflation (caused in part by their overspending) and anecdotal sob stories will tap into the budget for more programs, more agencies and more money. Republicans, you are trying to scam us with a shell game, and we aren’t buying it.
This column is a bipartisan beat down. The Republicans are not the only ones responsible for our fiscal sewer. The Democrats have bushels of blame in their storehouse of perfidy. They are the “Anti-Rainman.” That means that they lack even the most basic math skills. Democrats add 2+2 and get “soak the rich.” Democrats promise everything to everyone and expect the top two per cent (2%) of earners to pay for it all plus the massive supporting bureaucracies with the friendly public sector union members and dollars. Clearly, Democrats have spent too much time smoking dope otherwise how does one explain their radical deficiency of brain cells?
Other columnist and I have written that shaving a percentage off the top of the budget is a meaningless symbolism. It will not work. One must “zero out” entire agencies, departments and bureaus to achieve anything close to balance. House Republicans, you have fewer than 24 hours until you unveil your “bold, new” (ineffective, clownish) plan. I suggest that ALL of you and a few semi-responsible Democrats visit Walter Reed Medical Center. Walk the halls, enter the rooms and wards. Talk to the brave women and men who have suffered wounds in battle. Pay particular attention to those who have lost limbs as a result of their injuries. Often, on the battlefield a warrior becomes wounded, and the triage physicians or medics must make a critical decision. “Lose the limb and save the life” is a frequent conclusion. While wandering through the hospital, observe how many of our brave young warriors are being fitted for prosthesis (one or more). As they rehabilitate, they are learning to go forward with their lives after losing, sacrificing an important part of their bodies for our country.
House members, how can you ask these warriors to sacrifice for your irresponsible actions? Save the nation. Sacrifice the limbs of agencies, bureaus and departments to save the body of our country. What you are proposing is the least that you can do. The least isn’t good enough. We need your BEST shot…NOW.
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