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WASHINGTON HAS IT BACKWARDS posted by Robert Hurt
October 28, 2010 , 7:45 AM
Individuals and families understand that tough times call for tough measures. During the recession, Americans have made painful choices about their budget. They don't want to cut back, but understand that they simply cannot borrow their way back to prosperity. They responsibly set priorities because they have to. Yet our representatives in Washington are doing the exact opposite. Rather than make the tough choices, Washington Democrats like Tom Perriello have decided to go on a spending-spree the likes of which our country has never seen before. Massive bailouts, a stimulus that failed to deliver jobs, and a new government-run health care bureaucracy have added trillions of dollars in new spending to the ledger. This year's deficit is $1.3 trillion -- the third straight year of trillion dollar-plus shortfalls in our annual budget. American voters rejected the Republican Party in 2006 and 2008 because they failed to live up to their word -- including promises to restrain spending and balance budgets. But rather than learn from this lesson, Democrats chose to double down on the spending and red ink. All told, the federal government is on pace to double the debt in 5 years and triple it in 10 years according to projections from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. This out-of-control spending has left a legacy of debt for future generations. Every child born in America is stuck with $43,000 bill debt bill from the federal government that grows every day. Today, 41 cents of every dollar spent by the federal government is borrowed. Given the massive spending happening in Washington every day, these numbers should not surprise us. But they should sober us up to the simple and undeniable fact that wildly irresponsible government spending threatens the future of our children and our grandchildren. To get back on track, we need adults in Washington that recognize reality rather than ignore it. This year, the House of Representatives for the first time since 1974 failed to even pass a budget. How can we trust Democrats in Congress to control spending if they can't even set a budget? American families set priorities every day. Congress should be held to no less of a standard. Virginia can no longer afford Members of Congress who spend beyond any measure of reason. We can't let Tom Perriello stick his head in the sand while the country is headed towards fiscal peril. The simple truth is that America, for the first time, is at risk of leaving the next generation worse off. Let's change the fiscal course in Washington by changing our representation.
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Op-Ed
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