A Dent in the Road

The national debt in the United States is like a dent in a car. It can be fixed, but if left unfixed it will leave a mark behind for the next owner. As the funds are running low in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, will there even be these programs to help the citizens in the United States in the future? Everyone wants the benefits from the United States government when they retire after all the years they have paid taxes while working. However, with the amount of “baby boomers” reaching retirement, there may not be any more funds in these accounts to provide for the next generations. Meaning that the younger generations would possibly have to pay higher taxes in return to support the “baby boomers” and receive nothing in return when they retire. This indention will cause financial troubles in the future when we need help, but are unable to finance and support it.

These problems can be fixed if we are willing to put forth the effort to fix them. The “American Dream” for many can be exciting, but for those who have achieved it, it may not be so exciting. Many immigrants come to the United States in pursuit for the ultimate lifestyle, but in the recession that America is currently in right now, those that reside here may find it difficult to accept new comers. Immigrants account for a great percentage of our population, but from that percentage how many are actually tax payers and contributors to our economy? For those that are not legal residents of the United States, America has housed and supported them without a return. Many of these funds that are distributed to these illegal residents could be used to support those who have contributed their share. These immigrants have used our public resources that we as tax payers have built. Have they contributed to our public system? I believe that the United States government should only provide benefits to those citizens and immigrants who have been contributors to this country.

In the state of economy that America faces, I believe that everyone should contribute an equal amount of their income to restore the nation. This would mean that we as tax payers need to contribute to the equal amount of taxes being paid. Those with higher income levels would need to pay taxes on their full amount of income earned on a yearly basis. Currently the United States government is favoring the individuals that earn a higher income because they are not taxed for their full amount with the cap that is placed. This cap only benefits the wealthy people of this country and only hurts the ones that are trying to make a living in this economic crisis. Those who are struggling are most likely looking to the government for aid, but without the aid from those who can support themselves, the lower income earners are unable to have a stable life. This cap that is placed on the wealthy citizen’s income is a factor that should be considered and either raised or removed to allow this financial burden to be lifted away for the children of the next generation.

Another solution to this crisis that the United States faces is education. The economy could make a turn out of this recession if college would be willing to make it more affordable for students to attend college. Many of those students that are not attending college are due to high rising cost of getting a higher education. Parents cannot afford to send their children off to college in a recession like the one that is currently in place right now. If college could make it more affordable, they would see a rise in enrollment which could lead to more money that would be flowing in the institution. Those with a college degree are more likely to earn a salary higher than those with just a high school diploma because they would have more knowledge in a particular field than others. With a college education, these students would be contributing to the economy more than those that do not have one. America also knows that the highest paying jobs are those in healthcare and law. If professional schools allowed more applicants to be accepted, then the economy would eventually benefit from it. These students will naturally earn a higher income and therefore would pay more taxes to support the government and the account funds for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

If the government doesn't make this crisis a priority, this dent in the road will be a permanent one leading to damages in the future.