Yeah, we’re going to get political for a moment because I have had about enough of our national debt, and this redhead is getting mad. (And you know what they say about redheads …)
Yesterday, I read an article in The New York Times, “In Deficit Plan, Taxes Must Rise, President Warns.” The very first line of that article says this:
President Obama pressured Republicans on Wednesday to accept higher taxes as part of any plan to pare down the federal deficit, bluntly telling lawmakers that they “need to do their job” and strike a deal before the United States risks defaulting on its debt.
The answer is not higher taxes. The answer is less government spending.
I don’t know about you, but in my house, when income decreases, we look for ways to cut our spending. It’s a pretty simple equation, really: money in = money out. There is no other option.
If our country continues placing higher tax burdens on the wealthy and on corporations, our country is adding to its own unemployment rate. When the wealthy and corporations have more cash, they employ more people and have more cash for things like benefits and raises, which creates more wealth, which creates more jobs. (Do you see where this is headed?)
Giving the government more control over more tax dollars makes zero sense. Stimulate the economy by allowing taxpayers to stimulate the economy.
Yes, some tough decisions will need to be made. We all know a government job is a “good job,” but unfortunately, many of those jobs offer benefits and retirement packages that are simply not financially sustainable by American taxpayers. I think many of those jobs can be saved, but there needs to be a serious overhaul of pay scales and benefits packages.
Entitlement programs and government grants open up a bigger can of worms, but some serious cuts need to be made there, as well. None of these are sustainable at their current levels of funding.
Will it be difficult? Yes. Would I like to have my income and benefits jeopardized? No. Do I want to see programs cut for people who need them? No. However, jobs and programs that are funded with taxpayer dollars need to be budgeted just like jobs and programs that are funded through the private sector.
Money in = money out.
