Friends,
We have a serious problem, and I urge you to act. At the end of this letter, I provide resources for action.
In St. Paul, and in Washington D.C. politicians are working on deals, and we should all be afraid.
In Washington, we have a $1.5 Trillion dollar budget deficit THIS year. The “grand bargain” being discussed is to cut $4 Trillion – OVER 10 YEARS!
That’s only $400 Billion per year – about 10% of budget – less than 30% of this year’s deficit. We would STILL have a deficit of at least $1.1 Trillion this year, and every year for at least 10 years. And that is only if the $4 Trillion is REAL cuts, not the smoke and mirrors Congress is so good at producing.
The latest news is that Senator Mitch McConnell is proposing a “deal” that will let Pres. Obama raise the debt limit himself, in exchange for the ability of Republicans to impotently vote against the increase.
That’s not a fix, it’s a white flag.
Today, the federal government borrows 40 cents of every dollar spent. This borrowing WILL end. It will either end when we choose to stop borrowing, or when we become Greece.
Meanwhile, in St. Paul, the Minnesota legislature stood strong, holding the line at $34 Billion. They passed a balanced budget, and Governor Dayton vetoed it. Negotiations went nowhere, and we got the shutdown.
The “deal” to end the shutdown was announced on Thursday. The Governor wanted another $1.5+ Billion to spend, and he got it, but the worst part is that the extra money comes from borrowing from schools and against future income. This is not honest budgeting. It keeps our taxes low by sticking future taxpayers with the bill. Future budgets will not only have to solve their own problems, but also cover the mess we left behind.
IT IS CRUNCH TIME.
Do we have the courage to say NO? Do we have the courage to make honest choices, and admit that there are lots of things we just can’t afford?
Between big government and small government there can be compromise, but between honest and dishonest government there must be none.
I can take bad news, but don’t try to sell me the lie that I can have everything I want and have “someone else” pay the bill.
If we citizens won’t cut our government, then we need to dig deep into our OWN pockets and cough up the resources to pay for it. Free citizens shoulder their own burdens and pay their own way. Honorable citizens don’t gang up on a minority and force “them” to pay. Fleecing “the rich”, or future taxpayers, is wrong.
Will we have honest government, pay our own way, and own up to our bills, or will we allow our representatives to run up the white flag, and dump our problems on “someone else”.
To govern is to choose. Our representatives are making their choices in Washington and St. Paul where they are surrounded by vocal, determined people whose job is to keep government checks coming. You are the taxpayers who fund those checks. Your reps work for you. They need to hear from you.
What you must do:
– Talk to your friends. Politics is a price we pay to maintain a free society. All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. We must engage.
– Contact your representatives, and tell them what you think. Listening to youis their job. They listen and they care. Feedback from voters can move mountains.
Minnesota:
Governor Dayton 651-201-3400 http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/
Legislature: find your rep: http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/
contact info: http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/districtfinder.aspx
house members: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/housemembers.asp
Senate members: http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_list.php
Speaker: Kurt Zellers 651-296-5502 – rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn
Senate Maj. Leader: Amy Koch 651-296-5981 – sen.amy.koch@senate.mn
US Congress: Congressional Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
US House: http://www.house.gov/
US Senate: http://www.senate.gov/
MN Congress: John Kline (CD2), Betty McCollum (CD4)
– Visit my web site, and donate to my future campaign. Winning campaigns hinge on the generosity of supporters. Help me win: http://donlee2012.org
– Get involved in your local politics. Benjamin Franklin once described our government as: “a republic, if you can keep it”. It’s time for us to do our part.
Thank you,
-Don Lee
