Please share this letter if you agree. Let’s make this go “viral” so that the President and Congress know we’re serious about a balanced budget.
Dear Mr. President (and Congress),
I would very much appreciate it if you would stop spending my sons’ hard-earned money before they’ve even earned it. They’re only three and ten years old, but you’ve already put them behind the proverbial 8-ball with your spending habits over the past few decades.
[pullquote]Ask any child if they have $100 in their hand, how much can they spend. I’d be willing to bet very few (if any) of them will say anything more than $100 and yet, that’s exactly what we’re doing.[/pullquote]Just in case you needed a few (more) reasons to actually work together and balance your budgets, I’ve come up with my list of reasons for a balanced budget from a parent’s perspective:
It’s Our Responsibility as Parents
I mean, really. Wouldn’t you agree? We spend a good amount of our time teaching our children how to be responsible adults and yet, we’re not? How can I look my sons in the eyes as they grow up and expect them to contribute to society, save for their future spend wisely and, generally just live their lives as responsible, contributing adults when we, their parents have done anything but?
It all seems extremely hypocritical and unsustainable to me and it’s got to stop.
The World is Competitive Enough
The world is already competitive enough without handicapping our children before they even enter out into the world. With our rampant spending, lack of budgetary discretion and our clear inability to even address our problems head on all that we’re doing to our children is ensuring they live less fruitful, less prosperous and more difficult lives than we did. It’s disgusting and it’s selfish and we should all be ashamed of ourselves.
Government Debt (npr.org)
China (et al) Will Cash in, Eventually
It’s a matter of pride – national pride, actually. Those that hold our debts (ie: China) will cash them in, eventually. They’ll probably be calling on us to pay up around the time they realize we won’t be able to continue paying the interest payments on our debt. I’d really prefer a foreign country or entity not to own half (or more) of my beloved country.
All of the drama as of late around the government shutdown and debt ceiling makes us look like fools – and people don’t lend money to fools. The well will run dry eventually. We still have time to save face and our children’s futures.
It’s the Will of the People (Including the Children)
Go ahead, ask them what they think. Ask any child if they have $100 in their hand, how much can they spend. I’d be willing to bet very few (if any) of them will say anything more than $100 and yet, that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re spending more than we earn. We’re not only cutting into our savings but we’re cutting into their income. As a generation, they will come to view us as those that didn’t care about their futures. They will see us as the generation that broke the back of this once great nation simply because of our lust for “stuff”.
Please, Mr. President and Congress, stop spending my sons’ future before it’s too late.
Sincerely,
Daniel Ruyter
Working Husband, Father of Two, Small Business Owner, Tax Payer
I am not political and this is not a political or debate blog. I welcome your comments but please be kind and courteous if you decide to discuss this topic on my site.
Photo credit: Barack Obama via photopin cc
