New Issue Book about the Public Debt
A new issue book on the National Debt is now available from the National Issues Forums Institute. The 32-page issue book titled The $9 Trillion Debt: Breaking the Habit of Deficit Spending, includes an overview of the problem, three possible approaches to the problem, and a two-page post-forum questionnaire to be completed by forum participants and returned to the National Issues Forums Institute in Dayton, Ohio. The issue book was prepared by the Kettering Foundation for the National Issues Forums Institute. To order copies, call 800-600-4060.and ask for ITEM # I-216 (regular edition) $3.90.
This issue book presents the following three possible approaches for dealing with this problem:
Approach #1- They Can’t Say No: Curtail Endless Spending
The chief source of the nation’s budgetary woes is endless spending by elected officials. The federal government is too big and too costly. Hard choices need to be made about what is essential for government to do, what is optional, and what this nation cannot afford.
Approach #2- Unfunded Liabilities: Trim Social Security and Medicare
The nation’s promises to senior citizens represent huge and only partially funded liabilities. Unless substantial changes are made in Social Security and Medicare– two of the most costly government programs– the budget gap will get far larger.
Approach #3- The Revenue Solution: Raise Taxes
For years, elected officials have sustained the illusion that taxes could be lowered while public programs and services are expanded. It is time to be honest with ourselves about the cost of what we expect from the federal government and agree about the need to raise additional federal revenue.
Unfortunately you could give the feds all the money you make and/or have saved and it still wouldn't be enough. They promise too many programs to too many people. Let's cut the number of programs to special interest groups and lets start funding social security and medicare and stop robbing and raping the senior citizen.
Tom Koziol
Executive Director http://www.senior2senior.org