Cut spending, taxes for economic fix

The president's budget proposal for 2011 is so upside down it should scare every American to death. It just may do that. He is proposing $3.8 trillion of which $1.56 trillion is new debt in addition to the $200 billion in interest on current debt. So of the $3.8 trillion nearly half is related to for more debt.

There is an old axiom "when you find yourself stuck in a hole, stop digging."

The President and Congress need to follow it.

Here is some help starting now:

• Reduce all spending (expenses, salaries) by 10 percent with the exception of interest on debt and items of national security. It is appalling that Federal salaries and number of people working for the government have risen during the past year. Freeze hiring.

• For stimulus, make the Bush tax cuts permanent and add a 3 percent declining reverse surcharge to tax rates starting for tax year 2010. Tax rate for 20 percent would go to 17 percent in 2010, 18 percent in 2011 etc.

Nothing stimulates the economy like direct spending of Americans and it minimizes the costs associated with government management of it. Sure businesses would like tax breaks and investment relief, but the fact is nothing drives business spending and hiring like real demand for products and services.

There you have it. A simple solution to get U.S. moving and it didn't take 1,600 pages to do it. That probably means the Washington won't listen.

Oh well, I tried.

Richard Francke

Bartlett