While we are thankful for national security and other constitutional services that our federal government performs, it should be a matter of great concern that close to one-fourth of everything we as a nation produce in a year is being taken to finance our national government. That's right: About 25 percent of our gross domestic product goes to Washington.
How did we get there?
Well, many governmental costs - even justified ones - are exorbitant, and we are spending about $1.5 trillion a year more than high taxes generate.
So how long do you think government can burn through such a high percentage of all that the United States produces each year without getting us into much more serious financial trouble?
Who do you think wants to run in 2012 for president, the Senate and the House of Representatives on a platform calling for us to end red-ink spending, balance the budget and not raise taxes? And of those who do run on such a platform, how many will follow through?
Isn't it obvious that we are demanding much more from the federal government than we want to pay for with our taxes?
Do you believe we would be spending so much for government programs if we had to dip into our pockets immediately to pay for each item of spending?
When we buy a Coca-Cola at a vending machine, we have to put in the money to cover the cost - instantly, directly. We know what we must pay, and we know what we get.
If government ran that way, do you think we would be spending so much, taxing so much and running up the national debt so much?
Neither do we.