-By Vince Johnson
Dear Sir/Ms/Mrs.__________________________________________
I have decided to address these open letters to the candidate I’d vote for rather than everybody’s “favorite” candidate which caused a lot of confusion. Not everyone agrees with me, so henceforth, I’ll confine my advice to the candidate I’d vote for.
For this week, I suggest that you make a high impact speech near the National Office of the PTA in Chicago. It should be brief and to the point: “The most critical issue facing America today is not getting any attention by any candidate. This issue involves grievous ethical questions regarding our Public Debt. At the moment this debt exceeds $9 trillion dollars and the borrowing is increasing at a non-stop rate of $1.5 billion dollars per day.
“The enormity of this debt is only a symptom and not the real problem. The core of the debt problem is with Congress who approves of all the borrowing. The cure for the problem is in the hands of the voters who decide who should go to Congress.”
Lay it out something like this: “There is a new kind of reality in America today. Congress has discovered there is no outrage when they borrow trillions from foreign nations, mutual funds, individuals, banks, retirement plans, etc. Since there is no objection, they borrow more money for projects that will help them get re-elected while important things America really needs are tabled and forgotten.”
Then remind them who will make the payments. “Those who will pay the most for this uncontrolled borrowing consist of 75 million kids under 18 who have never been allowed to vote. This reality is more than criminal. It is immoral, it is unethical, and it is a sickening form of greedy arrogance that is destroying America.”
Don’t stop there: “This conference is being held near the National Headquarters of the PTA to remind America of the first sentence in their mission statement: ‘To be a powerful voice for all children’.”
Keep at it: “And I’m here today to ask the PTA to help me publicize a question that none of the other candidates for President regard as important enough to address. That question is basic and to the point:
“Is it constitutional to pass on a multi-trillion dollar public debt to 75 million American citizens under the age of 18 when it was incurred by Congress as a matter of political convenience rather than genuine need, and done so without the consent of those who will spend their entire lives making payments on it?
“I have been told there is nothing in the constitution to prevent Congress from requiring future generations to make payments on a debt that in millions of instances, was incurred before they were born. This may or may not be the case. It is therefore urgent and clear sighted to ask the Supreme Court to decide the issue one way or the other.
“My strategy is to bring the question into public debate. Regardless of what the Supreme Court may or may not do, I want the voters to seriously question the ethics of forcing oncoming generations to make payments on money we borrowed from their future simply because we wanted things we could not afford.
“The war in Iraq has claimed the lives of over 3,000 Americans who were trying to help their children have a better life. While these sacrifices were occurring over there, we are amassing a huge debt that will be a burden to our children as long as they live. This is a tragic form of ambiguous corruption and it has to be stopped.
“To emphasize: The PTA is a powerful voice for all children and now is the time for them speak up. I want the PTA to formally ask all candidates why they will not discuss the ethics of dumping a $9 trillion dollar debt on our kids without their consent.”
The next president should be willing to insist that these soul searching questions be addressed by Congress as well as every citizen that gives a hoot about America’s future. The next conference would be held near FDR’s home at Hyde Park, New York for reasons connected with your plan to bring Congressional borrowing under control.
Sincerely, VJ
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Vince Johnson welcomes comments. Please send them to,Vince Johnson(vjadtrak@wvi.com)
See Vince in the new book Americans on Politics. Policy, and Pop-Culture.