How You Can Help Reduce the National Debt Right Now
We Rise or Fall Together!
The election is finally over, and if you supported Obama you are pleased (if not elated) by the outcome. If you voted for Romney you are disappointed and probably frustrated. However, as Obama said in his acceptance speech, “while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people”.
What Could Cause This Great Nation To Fail?
Probably our national deficit and our increasing national debt. The majority of Americans agree with me, regardless of their political affiliation. In fact, a Pew research poll taken in June of 2012 reported that 84% of Republicans, 66% of Democrats, and 62% of independents think the national deficit is a top priority. There is also great bipartisan concern about the national debt, which is in excess of 16 trillion dollars as I write this. Although as a nation we agree that something must be done, Republicans and Democrats can't seem to come to an agreement on exactly what should be done to correct this frightening situation.
You Can Do Something Right Now!
However, there is something that you as a patriot can do right now without waiting for Washington to get a grip on the problem. The Treasury has a Bureau of the Public Debt, an agency that is set up to accept gifts. Your money will be used to reduce government debt by redeeming outstanding government bonds, notes and bills.
I have always been amazed by the generosity of Americans. We Americans generally give over 3 billion dollars a year to charitable causes. Perhaps, at this critical moment in time, America should be your favorite charity. If every American who was patriotic enough to vote this year donated an average of only $10.00 a year to the Bureau of the Public Debt, that would add up to $1,152,973,300 annually, slightly over 1 billion dollars a year. I'm sure that many among us could afford more, and that the wealthiest among us could afford much more.
You may argue that with a debt of 16 trillion dollars, a billion dollars a year is insignificant. But after all, this is our debt – yours and mine. We will be passing it on to our children. By starting to pay it off ourselves, without waiting for the gridlock in Washington to clear up – we send a loud and clear message to our politicians. We are all patriotic Americans that want our serious debt problem solved in a bipartisan manner! Perhaps they will get the message, and finally get down to business.
If you want to donate, go to the Treasury Direct site for general information. Follow this link to get information on how to pay by check or credit card. I just made an on-line payment, and it was very easy. I will let my elected officials know that I have made this donation as a patriotic American who is tired of gridlock, and so took action on my own. I will urge them to be patriotic as well, and to take immediate action to solve this problem in a bipartisan manner.
Spread the Word!
I ask all of you that are concerned about this issue to join me. Donate and then let your elected officials know about it. Spread the word! Let your family and friends know. Perhaps we can make this a national bipartisan movement, help pay off our debt and remind our government and each other that we are all Americans, and that we all love this country. Let's get it together – the national debt clock is ticking!
© 2012 Margaret Perrottet
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Comments
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Henry - I think you're probably right about the complete replacement of representatives. We really need to get big money and lobbyists out of politics, and most of our current representatives have not worked towards that. Although I may have wasted my money, at least I feel as if I've done something towards getting rid of our debt. Thanks so much for your astute input. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
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Thanks so much rajan!
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Thanks so much rajan!
Glad to share it on G+1, Margaret.
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rajan jolly - I'm hoping the same, and wish that there would be some reasonable agreement on the budget soon. Thanks for stopping by and for the vote up.
Truly, a wonderful thought and act. I hope more people emulate this to send a strong message to the powers that be.
Voted up.
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Deborah-Diane - I truly believe that we can all make a difference. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
I agree that the Federal debt must be dealt with. Thanks for empowering people with the feeling that they can make a difference!
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Steel Engineer - Thanks for reading and commenting. No matter what the cause is of this debt, I know that sooner or later we'll have to deal with it.
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Levertis Steele - I'm glad that I could give you some useful information on where to go if you want to donate something. I really think every little bit helps. Thanks for reading and commenting - it's greatly appreciated.
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Katheryn Stafford - Even though, as you mentioned, it's frustrating to watch the debt accumulate, I still feel better having done something about it. Thank you so much for reading and commenting - I really appreciate it!
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Levertis Steele - I'm glad that I provided you with some information of where to go to make a donation. I'm so glad that you ran across this article. Thanks so much for reading and commenting - hopefully we can get some interest going on this idea.
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Peggy - so glad you ran across this hub. I do appreciate you sharing this so much - perhaps the idea will gain some momentum.
I agree with the person who said that we need a growing economy in place.
The Satanists have a plan to bankrupt America by spending as wastefully as possible. Look up Jack Welch of the John Birch Society- for a speech he gave in the 1950s about "insiders", and delivered again at his retirement in 1974. It is on Youtube.
Have you ever wanted something so badly that it was frightening? It is like having something wonderful to happen and being afraid to enjoy it because it seemed too good to be true. That’s how I feel about the message in this hub. I worry every time I hear about the national economy, the debt especially. It would be grand if all Americans would put aside their daily worries and do something to plug the hole in the ship that we are all in. I do not want to sink, and I have been ready to "battle" for a long time. I just did not know where to start.
This subject needs to blow up to the attention of every American. Everyone from poor to wealthy could participate in this effort. Thanks for the lifeline, for indeed it is one because all of our lives will be affected if the unmentionable happens.
I didn't realize their was a way to pay the debt as an every day American. It would be nice if everyone could reach into their pocket to pay even just a little, because it is a growing problem. But it'd be frustrating to do so, knowing that more debt would be building up as we speak, some of it not necessarily what most people would want to donate it to if WE actually had a choice where America's money went. But it is a great thought. Thanks for the information. It would be nice for a chunk, even a small chunk, to get paid from Americans working together.
Hi Margaret,
Interesting proposition of paying off the national debt ourselves...one person at a time. Thanks for the links as to how to do this. I agree with some others who have commented that this concept needs a bigger audience to make it successful. Will do my part by sharing. Hope it takes off BIG TIME!
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Au fait - You're right about Warren Buffett - there's nothing stopping him from writing out a check. Hopefully, he did just that. I'm with Obama about raising taxes on earnings over $250.000, and think that once the economy gets rolling again, we need to raise them for everyone. Thanks so much for reading, commenting, voting and especially for sharing.
Very good ideas here. I often wonder when Warren Buffett says he should be in a higher tax bracket (which he should -- I'm in a higher bracket than he is!), what is stopping him from writing a check to the U.S. Treasury for a million dollars or so? Pocket change for him.
Agree with My Esoteric. We need to get this economy turned around and people back to work. We also need to raise taxes up if only temporarily in order to address the current acute situation. We can deal with the slow bleed after we stabilize the patient.
Voted up, UI, and will share.
Hehe, at least we can do "something" together.
- AUTHOR
My Esoteric - maybe the whole country can finally come together and hold hands when we drive off the cliff.
As I was driving home, I just listened to Ben Bernanke, in a speech he gave to some economic forum in NY, close it by diplomatically telling the two Parties to get their ass in gear and solve the problem before we do the Thema and Louise thing, lol.
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MyEsoteric - I agree with you, and so do many economists, that growing the economy is the first priority. However, I think it is an extremely important issue that needs to be addressed immediately and that the two parties have to come to an agreement on. I'm just so sick of this gridlock. What you said is true - the businesses look at the gridlock (and so do the credit rating agencies) and hold on to their money until they know what direction things are going to take. The best way to get the economy going again is to come to sensible agreements on the budget, and move on. I do think that we need to raise revenues wherever we can get them without hurting the economy, and that as soon as the economy gets better, we need to raise all of our taxes. In the meantime, those of us who can afford to give something, no matter how small, towards the debt can do so. Thanks for your thoughtful and insightful comment.
I wish more politicians believed in his statement, MP; good hub. I might do this, but when I write my Congressmen and women, I will ask them to match my donation and copy a news channel or two.
I always find such statements as " ... to learn to not overspend for foolish projects that don't benefit the American people. ..." interesting and thought provoking in its simplicity and "overarchedness". It would seem to me those "foolish projects" are foolish only in the eye of the beholder as is their "lack of benefit". If I knew which ones were being referred to, I might disagree vigorously.
Personally, I am not particularly freightened by the debt itself, beyond what it means in interest payments. It clearly must be reduced, but is it the number 1 priority? I would argue no; neither is a balanced budget. Why, because you are putting the cart before the horse; Clinton knew this, so did Bush I. You have to get a growing enonomy before you will ever be successful at reducing the deficit and then the debt. It is impossible to do the reverse, in fact trying to it backwards ends up making the debt and deficit worse because, in a weak economy, budget tieghtening leads to recessions; always has, alwasys will.
The worst example of that is when FDR decided, in 1937, the economy had improved enough, and slashed the federal budget, ended his federal support programs, and reduced, I think, taxes (sound familiar?). What was the result? The worst recession since the 1929 depression they just got out of.
Unfortunately, given the make-up of Congress, I don't see them agreeing on a plan to get the economy growing any time in the next two years. All business is going to see is the two Parties gnawing at each other's throats, and will continue to sit on their gazillions waiting for the children to stop fighting and give them something to plan with.
- AUTHOR
CloudExplorer - I really loved it when Obama made that statement for unity. He was so right - we need to work together, and we can accomplish anything. Thanks so much for reading and sharing - I really appreciate it!
If people were to pull their resources together anything can happen, and you are definitely on the right track here when it comes to joining forces to fix our massive debt issues in the US.
I will try to do so myself by donatng as soon as I earn enough HP money, because this is one of my only forms of income today, and the other is from Youtube, and that one is helping me pay for my meals LOL. Crazy times right!
Interesting and highly useful hub, that's superbly written and for a real cause that al Americans should take seriously if we really want change as President Obama says it. Nice job!
Thumbs up and getting shared, oh and thanks for the recent visits too.
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Thanks for reading and for the encouragement, JayeWisdom. I just might try your idea of wider distribution. I'd love this idea to take off.
This is a great idea and one you should share even more than you're doing here on HubPages. I encourage you to send your idea (or a link to this hub with a short "teaser" to every major talk show host and TV/print news outlet. Perhaps it will produce a grassroots groundswell of support, and "we, the real people" can do something tangible--a $10 bill at a time--to reduce the national debt. I'm willing. Even I can afford $10.
Voted Up, Useful, Awesome and Interesting.
Jaye
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tillsontitan, I agree with you - we can all make a difference, even if it is a small one. Thanks so much for reading, voting, but especially for sharing. I really appreciate it.
One person can make a difference...perhaps your movement will take on momentum and wind up doing what you intended! Paying down the debt seems to be on everyone's mind but our politicians and this just may be a way of shaming them into doing their jobs. I, like shiningirish eyes, do not believe in incurring debt I can't handle. I did it once years ago with a credit card and when that was paid off swore never to do it again! Now, if we could just convince our elected officials to do the same...
Voted up, useful, interesting and shared (hope you get lots of readers).
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Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Perpycacious. I agree - it's really not much money, but it could send a loud message.
If we can afford to send those extra $10's to the credit card companies, we shold be able to afford to speak with another $10 in order to give our congressional representatives and senators a bipartisanship wake up call!
- AUTHOR
Good for you siningirisheyes - I wish that we could be like that as a nation. Thanks for reading and commenting.
A wonderful concept. I only wish you success with the plan. I have never been an "in debt" individual but it has taken hard work to be that way.
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Paul - the money doesn't go into the general fund, so it's really not more money for them to spend. It actually pays down the national debt that we've already accumulated. Maybe Congress won't listen, but at least I feel as if I've done something, however small. I agree with you that this situation has gone about as far as it can go - I'm worried that our credit rating will be dropped once again. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
I admire the faith you have that our elected leaders might be shamed into living within their generous budget. They have had many years to learn to not overspend for foolish projects that don't benefit the American people. Why should they change their misguided ways now?
Giving Congress more money to spend, in view of their track record, seems more like giving $5 to a hopeless alcoholic and expecting him to buy the breakfast he swears is all he needs.
That having been said, I hope your strategy proves to be successful. The pendulum has swung about as far into the red side of the ledger as it will be allowed by our creditors to go.
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