Once again, Donna, do the arithmetic. Go research the federal budget, as I have. If ALL government spending except Social Security, Medicare and the defense budget was eliminated, we would still have an annual deficit and would be continuing to add to the national debt.

What you say sounds nifty, the kind of statements made by politicians running for office. BUT THE ARITHMETIC DOESN"T WORK!!

In the end, the solution will have to be both dramatic cuts in spending, including Social Security and Medicare, and in addition some pretty large increases in revenue (taxes). The numbers simply don't work any other way.

An almost automatic response to what I've said will certainly be...cut taxes to encourage economic growth and we'll grow our way out of the hole. Unfortunately, the Government Accounting Office has studied this and has estimated it would take 75 years of economic growth of greater than 10% per year to produce a balanced federal budget. The U.S. has had only one year in it's history with economic growth of 10%. Growing out of the problem we have won't work. It is going to have to be life-changing spending cuts combined with sizeable tax increases.

The only question is who will make those decisions? Will it be our Congress, or will it be our creditors? Watch what's happening to Greece to get an idea of what might happen to the U.S.