Guest Opinion: Ordinary Citizens Can Agree on
Solving US Deficit Challenges
By Paul Hansen
Published: November 26, 2011
Within the space of just a few days, the national debt has topped $15
trillion — about $133,000 per taxpayer — and the congressional super
committee failed in its effort to lower annual deficits and reduce the growth
of the national debt.
When given a chance, ordinary citizens, college students and even highschoolers have done much better at reducing the deficit than members of
Congress.
That’s what the nonpartisan Concord Coalition has repeatedly found in
conducting budget exercises with groups across the nation. In the Rocky
Mountain states, citizens from across the political spectrum have been
able to agree to budgetary changes that would reduce deficits by at least
the $1.2 trillion that eluded the super committee.
In most cases, these citizens found amounts close to the $4 trillion, which
would move us much closer to stabilizing the debt.
The exercise asks the groups to vote on domestic and defense spending
options, tax and other revenue policies, and possible changes to health
care and retirement programs. Although the goal is to reduce deficits,
some options allow participants to increase spending for some items if they
think those are reasonable investments for the nation’s future.
Bipartisan agreement
The participants vary by ideology and profession as well as age. They
discuss and decide on policies to reduce projected federal deficits over the
next 10 years.
Strong majorities frequently favor spending caps, increasing the taxable
earning cap for Social Security, raising the Medicare eligibility age,
comprehensive tax reform that raises additional revenue, and eliminating
oil and agricultural subsidies.
In recent exercises, Republicans agreed to tax reform that yields new
revenue and sensible cuts to defense, while Democrats agreed to changes
to make entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security
sustainable. (Additional information on Concord’s deficit-reduction
exercises, including materials that can be used in the classroom or by
community organizations, is available at concordcoalition.org .)
Since 2001, the debt has more than doubled. This was driven in large part
by two wars financed by borrowing, a slew of fiscally irresponsible policies,
and a deep economic downturn.
Neither political party is without blame, and neither can force its own
agenda. Both must be part of the solution. Anyone who is serious about
budget reform must be equally serious about compromise.
Combination solutions
Members of Congress know what needs to be done. They also know that
every single program or policy they look at has an entrenched constituency
that will raise a perfect hell (and not donate to their campaigns) if they dare
to touch it, as former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson recently reminded
them.
We cannot simply cut, tax or grow our way out of this fiscal crisis. We must
do all three.
The Concord Coalition is a national, grassroots organization dedicated to
educating the public about the causes and consequences of federal
budget deficits, the long-term challenges facing America’s unsustainable
entitlement programs, and how to build a sound foundation for economic
growth.
Concord began in 1992 as the voice of concerned citizens who were
motivated, like the Minutemen at Concord, Mass., to take a stand in the
belief that we have a moral obligation to leave the country better off for our
children and grandchildren. Our work shows that here in the West and
across the nation, the American people are well ahead of their leaders on
this defining issue of our time.
Paul W. Hansen of Jackson, Wyo., is Rocky Mountain regional director for
the Concord Coalition