Digging America Out of Debt

The first step in solving the country’s budget problem is convincing the public and the government that there is a problem that needs to be handled proactively as opposed to waiting until we run out of money to act. Getting young voters involved is a good idea considering it is mainly that generation and those to come that will be effected by whatever decisions are made today. Today’s youth may be the first generation in some time to not have an increased standard of living. Their standard of living may in fact be decreased from those before them. There are pockets of informed individuals across the nation; some feel strongly about changing the current system but do not know what course of action they can take. However there are still a vast number of citizens that do not know or care that the budget crisis will affect them. Citizens need to take matters into their own hands, confronting their elected officials about issues of government accountability, social security and health care costs.

One of the most pertinent issues that has led to this budget crisis is government accountability. An individual wouldn’t be allowed to rack up millions or trillions of dollars in debt and continue to not pay any of it off, so why do we accept such behavior from our government? If the spending habits of the government wouldn’t work for a typical household, chances are they aren’t really working for the government either. There should be policies, and bipartisan groups in place to hold the nation’s leaders accountable for their actions and spending habits. Areas of current government spending need to be assessed for wasteful spending, especially in the area of defense. One of the “Facing Up” videos mentioned that our nation could be back on a balanced budged in five years. If trillions of dollars can be repaid in that relatively short amount of time, why didn’t we do that a long time ago and run a balanced budget since then? The way America is going to achieve a balanced budget once again is inevitably to raise taxes and reduce government spending.

Individuals should not rely solely on the government and Social Security benefits at retirement age. Programs such as this should continue to exist, but as their success is not guaranteed in the future it would be wise for the general population to learn to save for themselves and not rely on a faulty system. When the 78 million members of the Baby Boomer generation retires there will be less than half as many tax payers paying for each person that retired.

Health care in America is also a hot topic for reformation. Medicare and Medicaid are among the three mandatory programs, with Social Security being the third, which the government must pay each year before all other programs, which are voted on. The accumulated interest on the national debt must also be paid each year. This interest in of itself is growing so rapidly that before long it will not be manageable. Medicare is going to become even more of a problem as the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age. This is going to require a change in the program, to reduce spending and sustain our nation through this money crisis. As heartless as it seems, the best way to solve our issue with Medicare is to be more stringent on qualifications. Only those Americans who truly need the program will be able to have access to its benefits. It would seem practical to adjust the age qualification, since the life expectancy is remarkably higher in today’s society.

Regardless of the decisions made today, the fact of the matter is that whatever they are will affect many generations to come. American citizens are ready for change, even if it means raising their taxes to get out of this mess. For too long now we have put up with not knowing what the government has been doing and spending, and that kind of action has gotten us to where we are today. There is a way back out of this hole and then an intelligent means by which maintaining balance once it is achieved. Reformations in the areas of health care, social security and increased government accountability are good starting places. Anyone can begin a discussion at one’s school, town, or by contacting a political leader directly. It’s the duty of American citizens to care how the situation is resolved and be a part of the solution.