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Dear Representative Barton,
I appreciate the need to balance the budget and to begin paying down the National Debt, the interest upon which will soon be the largest line item in the budget.
To that end may I suggest a few places to look for some needless extravagance? First I suggest that you consider completely withdrawing from Iraq. Leave no U.S. staffing beyond the standard Diplomat corps. Second, do the same in Afghanistan immediately. While we’re on the topic of overseas deployments how about closing about half of our overseas military bases?
Further, how about trimming the Pentagon? At one half of all discretionary spending I’m sure there’s something there to cut. Perhaps canceling all contracts with private contractors like Xe (formerly Blackwater)? I see no reason to pay a guy with a gun more than the $24k we pay a Corporal.
On the other side of the issue is revenue. We’ve been cutting taxes since JFK in 1960. Historically the U.S. Government has spent +/- 20% of GDP and taken in about the same. We’re currently spending 24% of GDP because of two un-funded wars. Beginning in 1980, due to changes in tax policy, revenue has fallen to only 14% of GDP and business’s share has dropped from 5.6% to only 1.4% of GDP. I suggest to you that spending is less a problem than revenue.
Social Security has not contributed to the deficit. There is currently a $2.5 trillion surplus in the form of government owned bonds, $2.5 trillion used to reduce the apparent size of current and past deficits. Social security is an easy fix and we both know it.
While on the topic of Social Security, can you loan me $1447.00 on or about the middle of the month until the Government is up and running again? I promise to treat your loan just as forthrightly as you have treated the loan from the Social Security surplus.
Sincerely,
Your Constituent
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