Jan. 11, 2013: Our readers write

No new debt limit

We are in a situation which is few short years away from a complete financial collapse.

This nation has been running annual deficits of more than $1 trillion for the past four years and our national debt is $16 trillion. What is our president’s solution? Tax increases for the job creators and four more years of deficit spending with a projected national debt of $20 trillion by 2017.

This doesn’t touch the trillions in unfunded liabilities in Social Security, Medicare and state pension funds.

For the past 40 years we have been kicking the can down the road living beyond our means as a nation. We can now see the end of the road in what has happened to Greece.

We have to take serious action, now. This will involve higher taxes for everyone to pay the current cost of government services and to start paying down the debt.

It also will require real cuts in government spending, not just in the rate of growth. There will be no room for sacred cows in these cuts as there needs to be a serious discussion as to what the role of government should be.

This is not anything new as every family must make the same decisions in making their own budget.

Our president loves to speak about “shared sacrifice.” It is time for him and the rest of the Democratic Party to live up to that. Working with the Republican-controlled House to pass a balanced budget in which entitlement programs are reformed, the size of government, not just the military, is cut, and automatic increases eliminated would be a nice start.

In the meantime, I am asking Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Bowling Green, to oppose any further increases to the debt limit or continuing resolutions without a balanced budget being passed.

If you care about the type of country you will be leaving for your children and grandchildren, call and let Guthrie know the time to act is now.

Kenneth Randall

Radcliff