Ideas for cutting the national debt

I've been very disgusted watching the news. Not one person on TV is suggesting any real changes that could work. It's all finding ways to carry on with spending without consequences.

Anyone know anyone who that actually worked for?

Didn't think so...

You know what would make a drastic difference? It's simple: Freeze spending at the current levels.

That's it. You make it impossible for the government to spend any more each year than it already is committed to for this year. That will work out to a huge reduction in debt.

And then you start cutting expenses. I have another idea: if you're a Congress critter, and you're well-off and/or you've got enough interests that you'd be fine without the income from the taxpayers, then you're ineligible for the government worker health plans and pensions. The money that would go toward those for you instead goes to paying off the debt. If they had to go get their own like the rest of us have to, then it's their money paying for their expenses. Not ours.

What about government buildings that aren't really being used? Get those people into other, more used buildings, and auction off the building to private interests. Taxpayers save on the upkeep costs, and the proceeds from the sale also pay something of the debt off.

For that matter, good energy use assessments on the government buildings might shave some more upkeep costs, and pay the debt down a little more...

I know government isn't a business, but if we demanded it take some lessons from how successful businesses are run... Well, we wouldn't have people screaming about the debt.

That might require we start treating the candidates as job applicants, and thinking of ourselves as what we are: the employer and the masters/mistresses of the country. All elected officials - and nominated ones - are public servants, and we need to remember that. We can always send them packing.

Let's do it some more these next elections...