Living Within Our Means: Jeff Backer, Jr. Mayor, Browns Valley, MN.

Just last week I heard a radio news story that stated 87% of American families are cutting back on their household budget.  That’s another way of saying they are living within their means.  As a Mayor of our community, us as a City Council just cut our 2009 budget by $50,000 to live within our means and currently the State of Minnesota is going through that same process. So that should mean our leaders in Washington should be setting a good example and doing the same?
Let me ask you this question. How many businesses, families and individuals can borrow huge sums of money in hopes that this will bring prosperity?  As we know, that plan does not work.  It is far better to earn interest instead of paying it.  The basic principles that work for us should also work for our government.  Spend less than what you make. 
As reported by the American Family Association, currently our government owes more money than all of us in the country put together possess.  We now owe nearly $57 Trillion while our net worth is $56.5 Trillion.  That means every newborn up to the oldest living American, each has an IOU for approximately $187,608.  Currently Washington is looking at a stimulus plan that will add at least another trillion dollars in additional debt.  Plus, if the current version of the Stimulus Bill that was passed by Congress is signed into law, you will see your taxes raised by over about $3,330 per person.  This is ridiculous. 
The good news is that we can still turn this around.  Instead of pursuing the poor economic policies of Hoover and FDR, we should follow the model of presidents who successfully met the economic challenges of their times and guided the country towards prosperity. In recent memory, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan significantly cut taxes to create jobs and stimulate growth.  Both of their policies succeeded.
For example. First, one of the best ways to stimulate this economy is for the people to keep their own hard earned money.  Why have our government take our money, give it to an expensive and ineffective bureaucracy in Washington and then pass what’s left to a certain group of people.  Number two, our government needs to balance its books and thirdly, significantly cut spending.  If you, School Districts, Cities, Counties and States and I can do that, the federal government must also.  To do anything else is immoral as we are passing a huge debt on to our children and grandchildren while greatly weakening our great country and our future. 

Jeff Backer, Jr.
Mayor Browns Valley, MN