IS THE GOVERNMENT WATCHING OUR MONEY?

I assume everyone who reads my blogs has had to live on a budget at some point.

When I was in junior high school my friend Tim and I had a paper route. We delivered our hometown newspaper on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and an add paper on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We were paid $30.00/month – so my “cut” was $15.00/month.

Because I was earning money, my parents insisted I pay for my own entertainment if I went out with friends.

At the time, I was surprised how much a movie, hot dog, popcorn and a drink cost. I learned quickly that paying out of my own pocket had a lot more impact. I looked it up, for the blog, and got a wide variety of totals. The movie was about $1.40 I couldn’t lock down a price for hot dogs, but I’m going with about a buck with popcorn around 15 cents and a movie drink about a dollar. Figuring in my head I came to about $3.55 for that one day out of 30 for a month.

My point here is that, at 13 or 14 years old, I was budgeting and, believe me, I thought a lot more when a friend said, “Hey, you want to go to the show.” Now my concern was, “Can I afford it?” Rather than, “Will mom and dad say it’s ok?” Don’t misunderstand me, my parents’ permission was still required, it just moved down a spot.

The budgeting process continued for the rest of my life; I believe the same is true for most Americans.

In high school I hung out with about 4 to 10 guys and girls, depending on the night. We would, inevitably, drive around, stop for pizza, fast food, movies/drive-ins or whatever. Some of us were employed and some were not. That situation changed throughout high school. We’d change jobs, get better jobs etc. The bottom line is that, if Danny had no money- the rest of us would pitch in for his share- BUDGETING 101!

I worked my way through college; where budgeting questions got more serious. Can I afford to go out tonight? – 0ften the answer was no; so, I stayed in or watched the big screen TV at the student union. Other budgeting questions were, can I still afford to take the train home next week if I go out this weekend? Can I afford to take that extra class with what I have left of my loan money?

If you paid for your own college, you recognize these problems and, I’m sure, more examples came to mind.

The budgeting questions never stopped in my life. I graduated from college and started my job hunt. Will that job get me where I want to be? Is that salary going to be enough to pay off my loan, move out of my parents’ house, and survive? Should I take the lower offer with the brighter future and stay home for awhile?

After graduation I bought a business- the garage I had worked my way through college at. Yes! That called for more budgeting.

I met my future bride while I owned that business. I fell in love and then lost the lease to the property my garage was on. The conglomerate I was leasing from decided to “re-purpose” the location. Can I afford to marry now?

I proposed to her by saying, “Hey, remember you told me you loved me, and you would still love me, even if I lost my business? She said she did. I then told her I had lost the lease but wanted to get married. Surprisingly, she accepted.

Now, we had to make budgeting decisions together.

As I said, for people who are spending their own money, money they work for, money that, if spent, may stop them from doing something else later, budgeting is a 24-7 job. My ex and I raised 7 children together, on a policeman’s salary. I worked a lot of overtime. Our conversations often started with, “Where can we find the money to pay…?” The bills varied, rent (In the beginning) car repairs, braces, doctor bills, household expenses, the mortgage, higher taxes, graduation parties, vacations, broken appliances, the list was endless.

We came up with different answers. She would get a job (Which was constant through the marriage), I would get a part-time job in addition to my police job, we would cut back where we could, we would cancel a planned vacation…

Now, let’s segue to how the government handles its’ money problems. Or, more accurately, its’ spending problems.

Let me start by saying the current national debt is $31,857,450,362,722. according to Peter G. Peterson Foundation. That’s over 31 trillion dollars. Would any of you call that responsible? I would not.

If you’re not shocked and repulsed by that information I will add that the debt has gone up to 31,857,458,324,631 in the time it took me to type this paragraph. Those of you who are mathematically impaired, as I am, the debt has increased by $7,961,909 in just a few seconds (I have to admit, I used a calculator to come up with that number). That is an increase of over seven million dollars in a matter of seconds!

A phrase that was popular in the 1960’s, when I was working my paper route, comes to mind, “DON’T RE-ELECT ANYONE!

I found an Associated Press article on the debt ceiling controversy that states there was, “Fierce Republican ‘blowback'” and “Tensions as ‘hard right’ Republicans refused the deal.'” The article went on to report, “Democrats said ‘extremist’ GOP views were risking a debt default as soon as next week.”

As usual, in my opinion, the press is lambasting the conservative view while reporting the Democrat view as normal. MY NOTE: If you agree, with the press and Democrats that going against a budget that will raise our national debt trillions of dollars is the wrong thing to do please comment and enlighten me as to how this budget could ever be acceptable- rant over. The Republican response/stance is listed as “Fierce, Blowback- (Miriam Webster dictionary: Blowback: an unforeseen, unwanted effect, result, or repercussions). Democrats are merely listed as saying bad things about the Republican stance- with no negative editorial addition.

I feel I have fallen into the pages of Alice In Wonderland, or a bad episode of Green Acres! What’s up is down and what’s down is up!

The United States Senate salaries have risen from $1,500 per annum (year) in the 1790’s to 174,000 per annum in 2023. I don’t expect them to go forever without a pay raise, I will note, however that their pay increased from $101,900 per annum in 1991 to $174,000 in 2023. They are also eligible for pensions after serving 5 years (one term is 6 years).

It has become a regular occurrence to have a “stand-off” at budget time with both parties refusing to compromise until a default appears to be a possibility.

Congress raised the debt ceiling 14 times from 2001 to 2016.

This year, during the debt ceiling controversy, Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Brian Shatz of Hawaii reintroduced a bill to get rid of the national debt ceiling set by congress (Capitol News Service 04/29/23).

It is alarming, to me, that this has become a regular “game” played by people who have been elected to act in our (The Citizens of the United States) best interest. I can’t blame just one party as they both see it coming and wait until it’s a crisis to act. I am amazed (Sarcasm intended) that, somehow, the debt limit is always raised, and our government can go on writing checks.

We regularly hear of studies funded by our government’s money (Which is actually our tax dollars). Important issues such as the mating habits of urban frogs. We are also told that money must be spent to assist The Ukraine, re-imburse descendants of slaves, pay to abort babies, house illegal immigrants (undocumented aliens if you are offended) and numerous other projects that arguably should not be funded by government.

When I (And every other taxpaying citizen) am set to spend more money than I have I cut back, or change procedures to make more money When the people who are elected to oversee our money see the same problem they “raise the debt limit.” I can’t believe that the better answer is to go further in debt as a country rather than let the urban frogs mate undisturbed.

My intention is not to sound uncaring. I do feel we all need to hear the voice that is crying beware! I know I’m not the only one, but I also know we need a lot more information about just where the U.S.S. Titanic is heading. Many of us are oblivious as our ship is taking on water. We are pulling people into the lifeboats even as they are taking on water because they are already holding too many passengers.

I, truly, do not believe our republic can survive with this repulsive debt. The last time the U.S. had a balanced budget was 2001 (Wikipedia).

If I write checks without the money to cover them, I will have the opportunity to re-acquaint myself with many of the people I have put in jail. I would be forced to join them in prison.

If my credit card limit exceeds a certain amount my credit card company will no longer allow me to use it.

Doesn’t 31 trillion dollars sound extreme to you?

Please comment, positive or negative. I look forward to hearing your opinion. If there is not a comment section, please tap on the title and one should appear at the end of the blog. Sorry for any inconvenience, I am working on the problem.

Thanks,

Phil