In 2010, US federal spending was $3.6 Trillion, 61% paid by revenue (taxes), the remaining 39%, the deficit, was borrowed. Over the years, these deficits have added up to what’s called the national debt, which now is $72,000 per household. As anyone knows from personal experience, borrowing this high a percentage of one’s yearly spending is dangerous and unsustainable. China, Japan, and the various American and foreign banks that loan us money could raise their interest rates and our situation could quickly become dire.
So where to cut? We can’t cut our payments on our debt. Our entitlements, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and federal retiree and veterans’ benefits, which amount to about half of our spending, can’t realistically be cut because of the increasing numbers now retiring and needing medical care.
According to the Deficit Reduction Commission Report, “security spending ... constitutes about two-thirds of our government’s discretionary budget.” It is clear that any effort to reduce our nation’s deficit needs to include significant cuts in the defense budget.
In June 2010, the Sustainable Defense Task Force convened by Reps. Barney Frank and Ron Paul released its report that showed how to cut $960 Billion from defense spending over the next 10 years without compromising our national security.
Point out that momentum is growing for cutting the deficit and that military spending cuts must be a significant part of any deficit reduction agreements. Refer your Representative to the Sustainable Defense Task Force Report that calls for cutting $960 Billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years.
If Rep. Frank or Paul is your Representative, please thank him for his leadership on this important issue.
E-message: www.house.gov
Telephone (Capitol switchboard): 202 224–3121
Write: Representative (first & last name) U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515
Photo: Lilyhouse, Nass Valley, BC, Canada, 1971 by Lois and Robin Barber (scanned from an archival slide). Lois writes about this photo: “Robin and I discovered an abandoned trapper's cabin that belonged to our friend and mentor Peter Hughan from whom we bought 87 acres of land. When we found it, the cabin had a fallen in roof and floor, no windows and it was full (4' deep) of pack rat and other assorted animal nests and droppings. We shoveled it out, built a new floor and hand split the new cedar shakes on the roof. We lived in this 14'x19' cabin for seven years. Wood stoves to keep us warm. In year 5 we put in our own hydro-electric system that ran off our creek and we had electricity. We turned our hillside into an organic farm, raised chickens and goats, worked hard, and had a fantastic time while falling in love with the natural world.”
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Posted by: Melbourne Electrician | 08/01/2011 at 01:26 PM