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Dear Mr. President,
I understand that you announced a Deficit Commission today
and, you want the country to start paying as we go. Your guidelines are as
follows:
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The
Commission will make recommendations that put the budget in primary
balance so that we are paying for all operations and programs for the
federal government (achieving deficits of about 3 percent of GDP) by 2015
and meaningfully improve the long-term fiscal outlook.
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The
Commission will be comprised of 18 total members. 12 members will be
appointed by Senate/House leaders (3 each by the Republican and Democratic
leaders of both chambers). All must be sitting members of Congress. The
additional 6 members will be appointed by the President, with no more than
4 from the same political party.
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Furthermore, 14 out of 18 votes needed to report recommendations, and
recommendations must be reported to Congress by
December 1, 2010.
If I understand this right, there is no mention of actually
cutting spending, just that we should be paying for the spending by 2015. I
know you said you were going to put a freeze on spending, but you will have
to include everything.
The rules to comprise this commission are one example of
why we are in such a mess. Are both sides going to accept the other side’s
nominee for the panel, or will there be a commission appointed to determine
who is or is not worthy to be on the panel?
December 1, 2010 is just
not enough time to get this done. As you know, most folks in Congress do not
spend enough time at work to take on anything extra.
I’m going to help you out a bit and it won’t take any
members of congress away from their daily busy schedule.
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Do
not raise the debt ceiling until 2015. Since we’re in a crisis, we
shouldn’t be adding more money to the national debt. That includes all the
government departments that were to have an increase in their spending
budget. You know that extra 500 billion you still have from the first
stimulus, and still haven’t decided what to do with? Write out a check to
China and send it as a payment. That should do something for our loan from
them.
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Members of congress are not to get any increased in salary until 2015.
(This will not amount to much as far as the big picture goes, but it will
be a great boost in moral to the American public.)
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We didn’t get an increase in our Social Security to match the cost of
living for 2010, and since we, for years, have “paid as we went”, you
shouldn’t have any objections about the restrictions I’ve laid out above.
After all, you stated you wanted the country to "pay as we go".
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One last thing. All that stimulus money you handed out to increase jobs
didn’t work. You should realize by now the government can’t create jobs,
unless you create another department to create it. Sort of defeats the
purpose. There are lots of small businesses out here who would start
hiring if they weren’t always in fear of you raising their taxes. Oh yes,
give them a tax break also. That would really get thing going.
I know, I can hear it
now. You can’t do that. Yes you can! All we’re asking you to do is live
with less. Isn’t that what you want us to do?
Sincerely,
Barry Worrell |
