We're not in an election year (not a Congressional/Presidential one anyway) but the Republicans are already lining up one of their old standby issues, a tax cut. Tax cuts are always popular here in the United States, and I would guess, around the world.
Under President Clinton's leadership, we have enjoyed a period of amazing growth and prosperity. He has lead us out of the deficits and we are now projecting major surpluses well into the next century (if we stay his course). But the Republicans aren't happy about having a Democrat in the Whitehouse and they don't care how well the country has done as a result. What they want is to attract votes even if it costs us our prosperity and increases the burden we leave for our children.
The national debt soared to astronomical heights under the spend-spend-spend years of the poor, mentally diseased Ronald Reagan. But, finally, we're back on course. We traded the deficit for a budget surplus and there is a very real possibility that we could pay off our national debt in our lifetime!
But that's not important to the "tax-cut Republicans" they want to prematurely start giving away these surpluses before our obligation to our children has been met. So much for being fiscally conservative. What do they care how hard our children must labor to payoff the follies of Reagan?
Don't fall for it. Sure, I'm looking forward to a tax break, but until we eliminate the trillions in national debt, it's a false savings. We might as well be taking a cash advance our our national "visa card." The money we owe isn't just an abstract idea. It's very real and we're paying out the wazoo for the interest. To fail to reduce this debt at every turn is a shortsighted folly.
Mr. President, I urge you to stand firm. Don't let the electioneering Republicans piss-away the surpluses we've all worked so hard to achieve. Pay down the debt, secure our future as a free nation!