It is an unfortunate fact that too many presidents and too many members of Congress have used our own money to try to buy our votes through unjustified spending - increasing the national debt in the process.
But from time to time, some members of Congress try to be responsible - and some other members try to appear responsible - by setting a legal "debt limit."
The "limit," of course, is supposed to prevent Congress from spending too much beyond already too-high taxes.
The problem, however, is that every time irresponsible congressional spending approaches the "debt limit," Congress simply passes a new bill to raise the "limit."
That is in the news today because the current legal debt limit is $14.25 trillion. And President Barack Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, has told Congress the government will hit that mark no later than May 16!
Do Obama and Democrats in Congress want to restrain spending in response to the approaching debt limit? No! They want to raise the "limit" again!
But Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, leader of the majority Republicans in the House of Representatives, and Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin insist they will not OK an increase in the debt limit - unless it is accompanied by serious cuts. Ryan said on NBC that there will have to be "real caps on spending ... so we can take pressure off the debt."
Thus, we may be facing a real showdown on government spending.
What do you think is best? Do you want higher taxes? Do you want the debt limit - and the debt - to be raised recklessly? Or do you want the president and a majority in Congress to start curbing spending in a way that's more significant than the mild cuts in the most recent budget deal?
Obama is scheduled to speak to the nation on the issue Wednesday. Do you believe that he and a majority of the members of both houses of Congress will "do the right thing"?
Shouldn't we insist that the president and Congress quit adding more and more to the debt, which we will have to repay someday, and on which we are already having to pay hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes just to cover the annual interest?
Important - and expensive - decisions are at hand!