Sacrifices

I found this story about Alan Simpson to be very interesting. In it, he calls out Seniors for being greedy. I don't think it is just seniors that are being greedy, but everyone that has their hand in the government cookie jar. That includes State Governments, Unions (public sector and private sector), Green Energy, Big Agriculture, Small Agriculture, Defense, Health Care, and many many more.

So what is it going to take in the way of sacrifices for the US to find its fiscal way? I'm not entirely sure. However, I am willing to make sacrifice as I undoubtedly benefit from many government programs (defense, transportation, education, etc.). To be fair (whatever that means) I am willing to make sacrifices if the government is willing to makes changes. If the government would adopt the changes being recommended by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, I am willing to give up what they recommend and maybe a little more.

The sacrifices that I am willing concede include raising the age in which I can collect social security to 69, dropping the mortgage interest reduction, and cutting the child credit. In fact, I am willing to forgo my entire social security check if the government would stop collecting the piece of Social Security Tax they collect directly from me. They can keep what they have already collected (over $190K) and they can continue to draw the piece my employer pays on my behalf (which is part of my total compensation by the way).

I give the chances of the NCFRR recommendations being implemented at close to 0%. Why? Because special interests will not make sacrifices. The government has created this cruel dependency over the last 100 years and people won't, and in some cases can't, go into rehab to get over this addiction. This addiction is powerful as the demonstrations in Greece, Ireland, Britain and France clearly indicate. There will be lies and misinformation, scare tactics and intimidation every time someone's handout is eliminated.

Politicians have neither the will or desire to stand up and do what is right to save this country. They only have the incentive to get re-elected, not do the prudent fiscal tasks to improve our situation. Term limits will help, but the political incentive system is unfortunately the down side of democracy. When more than 50% of eligible voters have the incentive to keep the gravy train running, there is not much that can be done to save the Republic.

It is all rather depressing, and hopefully I am wrong and the American people will awake from their funk.