I’m not an economist. I’m just a simple common sense American. An American who is in charge of my personal budget. When I follow my monthly budget, I know that I have a set amount of income coming into my home. Another word for that would be revenue. I know which bills I have to pay with that revenue: the mortgage, electricity, water and groceries. After I pay those necessity bills, if I have money left over, I can pay for my phone, cable, internet, clothes, insurance and other items. If I don’t have the money, I must sacrifice and not spend money on those unnecessary items. The only way to increase my revenue would be to work more hours, get another job, etc. I can’t just announce that I’m raising a set debt ceiling and spend willy nilly. Pretty simple, right?
But our government has taken this easy budgeting process and made it complicated. And the reason is simple. This government wants to control our lives. It has grown out of control. It is spending without regard for the results. The debt has grown for decades because of entitlement programs, unnecessary or ill fought wars and complete irresponsibility. Not to mention that we are moving towards a third year without a budget to place limits on spending. One of Congress’ only jobs and they have not provided a budget.
The insanity of this whole debt ceiling battle is that there is no need to raise the debt ceiling. The GOP must not blink and they must not vote to raise the debt ceiling! How dumb do they think we are? If this government made real cuts, right now not over ten years, they would not need to raise the debt ceiling. If they provided a balanced budget, we would not spend more than we take in with revenue. There should be no income tax and the idea that anyone’s taxes would be raised is outrageous! And if anyone thinks that a government that claims that these raised taxes would be on millionaires and billionaires after telling us they will raise taxes on those making $250,000 a year is not going to end up raising everyone’s taxes eventually, I don’t know what to tell you. The income tax was originally just suppose to be for the top 1% of earners. Are you paying taxes? They lie!
House Speaker John Boehner has proven to be a weak leader. Remember the last time he told us he was getting cuts over a period of years with the last appropriations bills and we ended up with $350 million? Boehner has decided against a big $4 trillion deal because of tax increases, which I applaud him for, but now he is talking about $2 trillion over ten years. Why over ten years? A future Congress may not stick to this deal. They cannot lock in a future Congress. And again, there is no need to raise the ceiling. America will not default. We take in enough to cover our obligations. As a matter of fact, this is THE battle to fight, right here, right now! This is our chance to dismantle departments that are just waste – the EPA, Energy, etc. This is the chance to fix entitlements and reform them and give people back their personal responsibility and freedom.
Tonight another debt ceiling meeting takes place. This is the opportunity the Republicans have waited for and I see them walking down a path that will toss this chance aside. Where is the leadership? Where are the cojones? Rep. Michelle Bachmann has promised to vote against raising the debt ceiling. That is leadership!
Diane is a conservative libertarian gay blogger and radio host. She not only blogs here at her home blog “Freedom’s Wings Politics,” but also contributes to various blogs and websites around the Internet. Host of the Freedom's Wings Show launched in January 2009. Co-host of Big Dawg's Music Hour. She is an original co-founder of the Conservative Alliance Media Network. Member of the Big Dawg Music Mafia Brigade. Active member of GOProud, Smart Girl Politics and Tea Party Patriots. Proud member of the Red State Talk Radio Network, Con Air Radio Network and broadcaster at From The Right Radio and Liberty Bell Radio. 
Big Dawg Music Mafia
Blog Talk Radio
CATO Institute
Family Security Matters
Jeremy Sarber
People's Cube
Red State Talk Radio
Smart Girl Nation
OK, but you imply that the money is available already to pay our debts….How is that possible if the US Government is operating at a deficit? Where is the money?
Deficit and debt are two different things. The government is operating at a deficit, which is why they accumulate debt to pay for everything. The government is obligated to pay the interest on that debt, which we have the money for along with the necessities in regards to military and social security checks. Here is a graphic that reveals we take in enough to cover the important stuff and that we can do away with the discretionary spending: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/budget-2010/
As a conservative who is also an investment banker I have to tell you that what you believe is correct but it doesn’t matter. The real power, and I mean real power, is held by banks and other large financial institutions. If the government defaults all of us who make money by managing money will be totally thrilled. The reason is that we will raise the interest rates at which money is lent to the government in every form-treasury bonds and notes, FHLB bonds, GinnieMay, FannieMay, you name it. Then even if the debt ceiling isn’t raised the amount owed on the debt will go up, alot. Its just like having a $1000 credit card debt and then having the credit card company raise the interest rate on the balance from 10% to 15%. When the interest rates go up the Federal Govt. will own another TRILLION on the existing debt, instantly. Small business might be hostage to Washington. But Washington is hostage to the banking system and very large multi-national corporations. I hope the debt ceiling isn’t raised. I want the government to default. It just means I’ll make more money and Tea Party stooges will get to pay and pay and pay. You guys are just making it too easy.