$14,000,000,000,000. Let me repeat that again in case you didn't see it the first time,......
$14,000,000,000,000!!!!!!
This is the size of our national debt. Does this scare anybody else? Not scared in the way of somebody sneaking up behind you at Kroger and startling you as you peruse which cantaloupe looks ripest, but SCARE YOU! Scare you for our future. Scare you for our way of life as a nation. Scare you for your children's and grandchildren's well-being. Scare you for the security and stability of our world. THAT kind of "scare you!" It does me.
I'm going to say some things here that won't be popular, especially considering my profession and love of my vocation. But I'm going to say them nonetheless. The reason is this, everybody thinks that cuts and sacrifices must be made to bring down the debt. It's just that everybody wants those cuts to come from SOMEWHERE ELSE besides their portion of the pie! This is nonsense, hypocrisy and buck-passing at it's most irresponsible, and I want no part of it. So, here are some of my thoughts, for better or worse, on the subject.
Entitlements MUST be reduced! Social security, the sacred cow of Washington needs to be changed. For those under 50, I think there should be a graduating scale of 1% in reductions of benefits for each year under 50, until a total reduction of benefits of 20% total is reached for those 30 and younger. Just so you know, that means my wife and I combined would see a 9% reduction in our benefits based on our combined ages. Further, I believe the retirement age and minimum age to receive benefits should be raised 1 year for those ages 50 to 60, two years for those 40 to 50, and 3 years for those under 40. My wife and I would each have to work 2 additional years to receive benefits (see, that's called SHARING IN THE SACRIFICE!) For the disabled, I'd leave Medicare and Medicaid alone for those in nursing homes, mentally disabled or severely physically handicapped. To encourage saving, I'd give greater tax breaks on retirement investing. For those with less money, I'd lower the tax rate on the first $20,000 made to half of what it is now. For those with more money, I'd do a 1% increase on the federal tax (more would stifle growth), and I'd lock the rates for ten years so people could plan ahead!
Healthcare. OK, how's this. Could we PLEASE purchase health insurance across state lines, encouraging competition and lowering costs? Could we PLEASE purchase prescription medication from other countries that have been approved as safe, lowering costs to seniors and the poor and encouraging cost reduction through competition? Could we PLEASE do more co-op work among the self-employed, allowing them to pool resources and lower individual costs? Could we PLEASE do a better job of curtailing and punishing Medicare fraud and saving hundreds of millions? Could we PLEASE limit the top limit of lawsuit amounts for medical malpractice so that the patient is cared for and compensated, but doesn't get a new Ferrari and an outdoor pool with cabana boy in the process? And oh, by the way, COULD THE GOVERNMENT STOP UNCONSTITUTIONALLY REQUIRING ME TO BUY INSURANCE?!?! "Hi, my name's Socialism. What's yours?"
I love NPR for its storytelling, biographies, and travelogues, and I love PBS for its children's programming, concerts and documentaries,......BUT THEY DON'T DESERVE A PENNY OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING!! If they can't exist in a fair and open marketplace, then they should dissolve. The nature of our country and its people would raise new entities that served the same purposes in their place. No sane person can tell me that storytelling, biographies, children's educational programming and documentaries would cease to exist if that happened,.....it quite simply would not, as the demand would create new outlets for these arts.
Welfare and unemployment should exist, but in different forms. To earn either, more stringent requirements need to be met. First, anybody on welfare that is physically and mentally healthy should be REQUIRED to work on projects to earn their checks. Here are some ideas:
-cleaning graffiti off walls
-picking up trash in medians
-attending career building activities and workshops
-landscaping public grounds
-safety patrolling public parks
-working in free day care for welfare recipients with children (after thorough background checks and training)
ALL of these activities are honorable ways to work, build self-esteem, and create pride in what a day's work entails. If those on welfare were required to put in 15 hours weekly on these activities to get their checks, you'd find less crime and more honor in millions of Americans. For the unemployed, proof of applications and interviews (which exists somewhat already), mandatory career building and re-training should be part of the picture. Again, for 15-20 hours weekly to still provide time to look for work.
And now, education. My heart is in education, as is my life, career, past, present and future. I love teaching, love kids, love the arts, love to watch growth occur, love to watch kids become adults, and love being a positive role model in shaping young lives. In case you lost count, that's a lot of "loves"! However, teachers are often guilty (as we ALL are) of not seeing the necessity of harnessing runaway debt when it comes to their own profession. Let me make some suggestions that I think would help school corporations throughout the nation curb this epidemic:
-Lower by 5% the salary of all administrators making over $100,000 per year (adjusted slightly by state). This would show good faith sacrifice by those at the top.
-Redo the pension and healthcare systems so that teachers would need to pay a percent of their retirement and a SLIGHTLY increased percent of their healthcare (Please read the word "slightly" as 3 or 4 percent)
-Allow collective bargaining on most issues, but set new teacher salaries at the state level. Collective bargaining should continue through unions as it pertains to work conditions, student/faculty relations, stipends, vacation/personal/sick days, student enrichment, curriculum, day/class length, textbook selection, classroom environment/supplies, dispute moderation, sexual/verbal/physical harassment, etc. I'm NOT calling for reductions in salaries, as I believe teachers are underpaid. Rather, I think salaries of teachers should be tied to those of the state congress salaries of each state. In other words, if the governer, congress, or administration of a state get a raise, then teachers get the same percentage raise. However, if the government of a state wants teachers to take a pay cut, it should take the exact same pay cut itself.
-Programs for students should be stream-lined, but NOT eliminated. There are certain programs (special education being a biggie) that need to be fully funded and supported by the state. With this said, there's waste in many places in spending (elaborate facilities, sports venues and architecture can be simplified while still continuing to build new schools, for one.) However, by eliminating programs, students have fewer opportunities to grow and learn who they're becoming and who they want to be. Truancy, vandalism, apathy, and rebellion will rise to frightening proportions if kids lose their outlets for expression, fun and discovery.
And now to my heart and soul, the arts. Should we sacrifice also, yes. How? Here are some suggestions:
-Put more of a financial burden on parents, parent booster clubs, and community support to pay for these activities. Of course students with no resources should never be refused participation, but they SHOULD be required to participate in fund-raising and work programs to earn their keep.
-Fewer paid assistant coaches. I understand that coaches, directors, etc., deserve their stipends (and even MORE than their stipends). However, assistants, while working VERY hard and being valuable resources, can become a further financial burden. This is where volunteerism and community spirit can help. Would you rather have 7 paid assistant coaches for the football team, or be able to keep girl's golf and boy's lacrosse from getting the ax instead?
-Budgets for arts groups can always be brought under greater financial control. Elaborate costuming, expensive props, fancy set designs for the musical, arranger budgets,...even CHOREOGRAPHER budgets can always be examined and spent responsibly. I have several schools that used to use me 10-12 days per year, but now it's only 7-8 days a year. This saved them thousands of dollars in the process, lessening burdens on students, boosters and schools!
-DON'T ELIMINATE MUSIC AND ART FROM OUR SCHOOLS, but do it intelligently. Many schools have teachers going to both the elementary and middle schools in the same day now, or from high school to middle school. This IS NOT ideal. This IS NOT good. This IS NOT what we want in the arts. But if it ensures our children still have opportunities to be in bands, choirs, orchestras, yearbook and newspaper staffs, art clubs, etc., it might be a necessary sacrifice.
I guess that's enough venting for now. I think teachers are under-valued, under-appreciated, under-paid, and over-worked. Their contribution to society is beyond measure, as is the number of kids lives they save and enrich on a daily, even hourly, basis. However, our national debt and over dependence on government as a nation has led us to this point. Republicans and Democrats have BOTH contributed to the insanity and have BOTH shoveled more coal on the runaway steam engine. We have to be drastic. We have to do the unpleasant. We have to act now! It's almost too late.
