Originally Posted by rjm1cc

The problem is we are promising benefits, jobs, pet projects etc. we can not afford. We have to start addressing the spending problems as they get worse each year. I think the one thing we have proven is that we can not fix everyone's problems by spending more and more money so I guess we have to find a different answer. The idea of a budget is to make sure your income and expenses are in line. Our current approach is not to budget, spend on what ever we think is good for us (the person spending the money) and to complain that the rest of use do not pay enough into the government so it can spend on all it pet projects. This does not mean that we should threaten to cut the expenses that help the truly needy but that we should cut the programs that have not worked.