All these recommendations should be placed on the table, probably plus some others such as a reduction in the entitlements that all who participate on this forum enjoy. If our elected representativs really get serious about balancing the budget and reducing the national debt, it's going to hurt...all of us.

It will take a steel political will to refuse to participate in the demonstrations that are certain to occur. Just look at the TV today, when students all over the country are demonstrating because state's funding of education is being reduced at the same time their tuition is being dramatically increased. It is altogether possible that in order to return our country to fiscal balance, spending will have to be dramatically reduced, but taxes may have to be increased at the same time.

As a country, we have simply lived way beyond our means for too long to avoid the probability of both these actions. If we get our wish, we will have to have wills of steel and patience of saints to avoid resisting the obviously needed corrective actions.