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Opinion
Mark Trahant: Washington ignores huge debt


"Here is the essence of a press release template that should prove useful in the near future.

"The (write the name of your group here) is worried that federal budget cuts in the (say, science, health, welfare, education or a specific program) are draconian in nature and will undermine our democracy, our education, our ability to compete globally, our society or our nation's progress at a time of great peril."

The paragraph's premise will work for most any federal program going forward -- unless you're worried about spending federal tax dollars on the military (including war), entitlement programs or interest on debt. We are going to need to start serious trimming (and even elimination) of federal programs that we're used to relying on because we have a new priority hierarchy. The three areas are what we've determined -- and cemented in place -- as the essence of the federal government.

If you are done writing your press release, you can do what Congress does. Ignore the numbers. Pretend this is a really bad scenario that will never come to be. The country will find a way to grow its way out of this problem, right?"

Get the Story:
Mark Trahant: Wake up, Washington: Huge debt is real (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 10/1)

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