Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and Mr. President:
My kids have a few questions. They've heard that thanks to federal spending creating huge national debt, looking out a few years, each of them personally owes about $180,000 plus interest. We have five kids so combined they are already under water more than $1 million. Our youngest is three. Her indebtedness will exceed that of her older siblings.
Their first question is: how are we going to pay off this debt? Their second question is: how did we get so far in debt?
We have told them the truth. It's kind of a tradition in our family. We told them President Bush allowed the federal government to grow 60% on his watch with a lot of controversial spending. And, of course, you folks in Congress had a lot to do with that too. We told them so far, President Obama has outdone Mr. Bush by a factor of three. This means Mr. Obama has spent three times as much as Mr. Bush in 1/8th the time. And, of course, you folks in Congress had a lot to do with that too.
This also means that if we look out about 60 years considering all the promises to spend our money our government has made, we owe more money than the gross national product of all the countries in the world combined. (Kids, the gross national product is the combined value of all the goods and services produced by all the people in the entire world, estimated to be about $56 Trillion per year.)
This also means, children, most of the fruit of your labor will be confiscated by the government your whole life. "Oh," they said, without much enthusiasm.
My children have another question. 'If we are so far in debt, and it's hurting our economy, why are our leaders forcing us to spend more money we don't have on healthcare and global warming?'
Good question children.
What do I tell them Mrs. Pelosi, Mr. Reid, Mr. Obama?
Do I tell them spending $1.3 Trillion on healthcare is a good idea at this point in history? Do I tell them it's a good idea to let foreign governments tax us so we can save the polar bears (bears who appear to be doing just fine)? Do I tell them it's a great idea dismantling our economy and going back to 1830 so that Al Gore can sleep better at night?
Do I tell them giving $300 billion of our money per year to poorer countries will make them rich and stop global warming?
Do I tell them you are trying to save them from global warming when they know the jury is still out in that regard, and when they suspect the whole thing is a charade, an excuse to steal money from Americans to give to people in other countries?
Do I tell them to put on a hat, two pair of socks and an extra sweater, and walk everywhere, so that people in Europe and Asia and Africa can assemble a global socialist world order?
Do I tell them we have to support you so you can destroy our economy so that people who come here illegally, and people who won't work, can see the doctor?
Do I tell them you are working to bring our country to her knees so that people in Europe will like us?
What do I tell them? Just take a deep breath and hope for the best?
They have another astute question. "If the Founding Fathers warned us that an all powerful federal government would inevitably mean liberty lost, why are Mrs. Pelosi, and Mr. Reid and Mr. Obama creating this huge government? Do they want to take our freedom away?
What do I tell them Mr. Obama? Mrs. Pelosi? Mr. Reid? What are you telling your children and grandchildren?
Are you telling them not to worry about the economy or the debt, that you will save us from global warming, that we must help law breakers and lazy folks if we have a heart? Are you telling them not to worry, look to the successes brought by the federal government, citing the Post Office, Social Security, Medicare, the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, the EPA, and the Veterans Administration? Are you telling them to think about the federal government as if it is a big brother, a loving and benevolent uncle, a nurturing mother?
Oh, and two other questions my kids ask: "If we have more enemies in the world than ever before, people from all over the world who want to use terrible weapons to hurt us as badly as they can, why are our leaders cutting spending for the military, alienating our allies, and saying our CIA people are the bad guys? And why is the President telling everyone we deserve to be hated?"
What do I tell them Mr. Obama? Mr. Reid? Mrs. Pelosi? No worries? The future is bright.? Have hope things will change?
What are you telling your kids? The truth?
Sincerely,
Allan Erickson, Oregon
PS: Our kids are not losing sleep because they believe a loving, protective God is watching over them, and they'll continue to believe that, no matter what the federal government does or says. I hear a lot of other kids are afraid everyday because they are being told there is no God, and soon, global warming will destroy them. What was that you are telling your kids again?
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Real national debt is $56.4 Trillion, and growing rapidly
U.S. Deficit biggest since 1945
Citizens Against Government Waste Pork Book