Is it the Age of Austerity?

So what do we cut? In the age of austerity, actions and things we have grown accustom to from government are on the chopping block. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The government needs to stop spending money on programs that can be handled by the private sector.  The U.S. government spends tens of millions of dollars promoting American businesses overseas, private business should handle their own advertising. We should stop subsidizing oil drilling, agriculture, finance, get out of the home loan business and  scale back on high-end weapons programs designed for the next “great” land war (which seems very unlikely).

But this is not the discussion we are having.  We are lacking a legitimate discussion on what we want government to do for us.  According to a recent ABC/Washington Post Poll, Americans want Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, strong defense, highways, good schools, National parks, a space program, cancer research and much, much more.  So what do we do? We cannot afford it all…not anymore.  I have been hearing some talking heads on the 24 hour news networks say it is not an income problem, but a spending problem. 

That is true only if we start cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and defense. According to the Congressional Budget Office, those areas of the budget equal 75% of the total budget. We could stop funding for everything else government does and we would still be in the RED, as that is only 19% of the budget.  The remaining 6% is monies we pay on the interest to our debt. 

We are not going to suddenly stop all other functions of our government.  Obviously that would be insane and destroy all we know.  The question is how and when do we have a rational discussion in a hyper-partisan political world?  I believe it is up to us, the American people to openly discuss with each other and then our representatives what our expectations are.   I understand there will be disagreement. However, I feel there will be more we agree on than disagree.  If our political leaders on the left and right fail to hear us, we must become more vocal if we want anything to change.

My fear is that many of us have given up.  We feel that money from special interest have plugged the ears of our so-called “leaders.”  I share that fear.  But the time is now to cajole them into hearing us.  The time is now…start talking...then start shouting!