WHEN PENNIES ARE BILLIONS--AN ANALOGY

FROM WWW.TEAPARTYPATRIOTS.ORG

Dear Patriots,

Yesterday, 3/15/2011, 54 Republicans voted against their leadership, and for our future, when they voted against the Continuing Resolution. Though it is better than nothing, the $6 billion in cuts within the CR amounts to what we borrow every 30 hours. Many Republicans are scared to try and cut more, and stick firmly by a CR that takes us through to the end of the fiscal year. They make comments to the press like this one, from Ohio Rep. Steve LaTourette, who is an "appropriator" and close to John Boehner:

Ohio Rep. Steve LaTourette, an appropriator close to Boehner, said Republicans are seeing a "constant tension" between "the Democratic Party that talks about cuts but doesn't want to cut anything, and then you have my side, that wants to cut anything that moves."

So wanting to cut $100 billion, as was promised by the GOP Pledge, is now likened to wanting to "cut anything that moves?" Let's put those cuts in perspective for people like Rep. LaTourette. From Bob Williams of State Budget Solutions:

If every penny represents a billion dollars...

1. You would need a pile of 14,200 pennies ($14.2 trillion) to represent the Federal debt as of March 10.

2. Add to the pile 1,600 pennies to represent this year's $1.6 trillion projected deficit.

The total in pile would be 15,800 pennies.

Now let's look at the proposals...

1. Senate Democrats' proposal would remove 5 pennies from the pile. Senate Democrats hope to cut $4.7 billion (15.795 pennies would remain).

2. Add the pennies back to the pile and show the White House proposal that would remove 6 and 1/2 pennies from the pile. White House proposed $6.5 billon cut (15,796 pennies would remain).

3. Add the pennies back to the pile and show the House Republicans proposal that would remove 61 pennies from the pile (15,739 pennies remain). House Republicans hope to cut $61 billion.

As you can see, even the House Republican proposal merely kicks the can down the road and doesn't address the depth of the problem facing our country. Though it is not yet fiscal 2012, if the House Republican proposal passes, we will have an additional $1.5 trillion problem to deal with as the FY 2012 budget develops.

And, watch this video from the Cato Institute that really puts it all into perspective.

So... we're supposed to be impressed with $6 billion? They don't even seem to be interested in communicating to us why they are doing what they are doing. Even the Democrats are offering to "save" Boehner from the "Tea Party." Is that what Boehner thinks too?

Knowing all of this, we want to thank those 54 Republicans who had the guts to say no more messing around. If you feel the same way, and would like to thank them, then please give them a phone call, an email, a tweet, or post on their Facebook pages, and tell them thank you.

Northwoods Patriots - Standing up for Faith, Family, Country - northwoodspatriotscomm@gmail.com