Can’t let Congress default on the country’s debt
Letter to the Editor,
Voting matters and your vote counts. When you cast that ballot, you should do your own vetting of the candidates for whom you’re going to vote for. Today, more than any other time in the history of the United States, there’s more resources than ever to find information on candidates, whether it be from traditional sources like local or syndicated newspapers, local news stations, newsletters, townhall meetings and such sources. From the advent of cable news in the 1980s to the internet in the 1990s to Facebook and other social media in the 2000s we have more information at the click of a button than ever before.
With all these resources available one must be careful not to fall for the falsity and hyperbole that so often abound, even within the partisan politics. Not knowing you may be casting a vote that would not be in your best interest. It’s important to know your candidates, the issues and where they stand.
During the 2022 election campaign we heard a lot about inflation, immigration, crime, abortion pocketbook issues, education and individual rights from candidates on both sides of the aisle. Talk about not raising this year’s debt ceiling was pretty much nonexistent, the same for making cuts to Medicare and Social Security. These two programs have kept many of our fellow citizens out of poverty, they offer a level of security to the disabled and it’s been a lifeline to tens of millions senior citizens. Don’t forget if you’re receiving these benefits, the vast majority of us have paid for them through our hard work, they are not entitlements, we’ve earned them.
As of Jan. 19, 2023, through political maneuvering, a faction in this congress is threatening to default on our nation’s debt. This will destabilize not only the US economy but that of the global financial system as well. Our debt limit has been adjusted for decades to meet debt that has already incurred, four years while under the previous administration it was raised without any condemnation. Defaulting on the nation’s debt is equivalent to running up a credit card then refusing to make payments on the what is owed. How many of us do that? When we commit to buying things with credit, we pay what is due. It’s the right thing to do. Our nation was founded on credit and business everywhere could not exist without it. It would be catastrophic for all of us should this come to past.
The new congress, held by a Republican majority, is demanding cuts to Medicare and Social Security in the next year’s budget before voting to increasing this year’s debt limit. Did you know this when you cast your ballot? Probably not. If you believe this is a good path to take you need do nothing, but if you want to save this great nation from defaulting on its debt let your voice be heard. Write, call or email your Congress representative today!
Greg Stoner
Big Prairie