Since it’s the middle of January, most of the people who get a paycheck have noticed that it seems to be a little lighter than it used to be. Those who listened to and believed Barack Obama when he was telling everyone that he was only raising taxes on the rich must have been amazed to find that Dear Leader actually considered everyone getting a paycheck to be among the rich. I haven’t really refrained from saying I told you so to those Liberal supporters who were surprised by the increased tax bite. Well, fear not. Just wait until one of the kids needs braces and you discover that the medical device tax the people who made those braces had to pay just got passed down to you!

Unfortunately, the “negotiations” that gave us the Obama tax increases left many things unresolved and will again raise their heads in a little over a month. Of course, I’m referring to the joint problems of sequestration and the looming debt ceiling. Either of these issues would be tough fights, but when combined, they could be disastrous for the country.

Sequestration was the penalty too huge to endure by Congress that was supposed to kick in on the first of this month. It was supposed to take $600 billion from both the military budget and entitlements. The Pentagon has been ordered to find funds, cutting programs, reducing equipment and manpower while forces around us strengthen. Strangely, the liberals have done nothing to locate, or even look for, their $600 billion for entitlements. I’m waiting for their clarion call to take it all out of the military! All of this could have been avoided had the Senate actually done its job, instead of piling viable solutions passed by the House on top of Harry Reid’s desk, never to see the light of day again!

The real battle will be over the debt ceiling. Currently, the United States’ national debt stands at $16.45 trillion, resulting in a debt of $52,203 from each citizen of our country. An infant born right this instant already owes that amount. We’ve already breached the debt limit $32 billion ago. So, what should we do about it?

Barack Obama says raise it. Of course, in 2006, then- Senator Obama said,”The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government can’t pay its own bills.”The major differences, of course, is that at the time the President was George W Bush and the debt then was a mere $8.2 trillion. In 2006, Obama chose the right vote was not to vote.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid voted against raising the limit in 2006, but now want it raised. Pelosi goes so far as to say Obama should raise it by Executive Order, using the 14th Amendment. I’m not a Constitutional scholar, but I have read it. I venture to say that’s more than many of our elected officials who are there serving us, after swearing to protect and defend the Constitution. After all, no one is questioning the debt (Section 4, 14th Amendment), but questioning the manner in which to pay that debt.

The majority of Americans are forced to live on a budget. They know how much money they have coming in (unless they are somehow surprised by a secret tax increase the Lame Stream Media neglected to tell them about). They know how much their bills are. Using simple math, they can subtract bills from income and know how much they have extra. If the income isn’t enough, they can ask for an increase, but that doesn’t work many times, so they may  have to cut something. There are many Americans who have had to cut something they liked due to their budget. Some people borrow money to make up the difference, but that only goes so long. Borrow too much and, sooner or later, their credit will be cut off.

It’s time that the government learns this lesson as well! The last four years, we have had deficits of more than $1.2 trillion annually, resulting in an increase in the national debt of over $6 trillion. This is irresponsible! The Senate is just a few month short of going four years without a budget. This is in violation of the law! Currently, every dollar the government spends, we only have $.54. We have to borrow the other $.46. This is dangerous!

We need to cut spending. We need serious spending cuts, not a decrease in the scheduled baseline increase, which is STILL an increase no matter what we’re told by the government bureaucrats! We need to cap that spending at levels we can afford. Then we need to balance the budget. This is what works in the households of the American people. Why shouldn’t we impose this on our government? After all, they work for US!

Let me leave you with this visual picture concerning the debt ceiling and the question of what to do. Imagine you live in a neighborhood with a bad sewer system. One day, it backs up and you come home to find your house full of sewage. Do you raise the ceiling? Do you get rid of the sewage? Well, which one should we do?

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