$516,000 and climbing

So what is $516,000? That's the debt per household that we're currently carrying thanks to the Bush administration's efforts to bankrupt the country.

Individually, then, for a household of four, that's over $129,000. That number, by the way, takes in most everything. Some estimates say the debt per capita (individually - what you and I would fork over) is $32,000 but that doesn't include full numbers. I also suspect these are both low numbers because I daresay the numbers the public actually hears are the right ones. I don't believe anything the government tells me these days, and that includes its debt figures.

Anyway, whatever the number, do you have thousands just laying around to hand over to pay for poorly planned wars, Wall Street bailouts, and tax breaks to the oil and gas companies?

I didn't think so. If I managed my household like this administration has managed finances, then we'd be declaring bankruptcy. Is that what is happening, do you think?

I don't know. I'm no economics major. I just know I have XX coming in and if I don't have it in the bank I don't spend it. I don't need the latest doohickey or thing-a-ma-bob. So I think the government doesn't really need the big boy toys it buys up either, all those bombs and bombers and tanks and all that other stuff that makes up the Pentagon budget. That's because we don't really need to be out making wars. We just need enough for defense and I think we have plenty for that.

We have 305.4 million people in this country. My calculator won't even go as high as this debt. Neither, apparently, would the national debt clock in New York, which was taken down so they could add another number to the trillions in debt that with which this administration has saddled you and me and our children.

If the people who own this debt (whoever that may be) suddenly said, pay up, I wonder what would happen? Would they come knocking on our doors asking for the pocket change? Would they say, no, I don't care if your mortgage is paid for, we own your house now? We own your roads and everything else. Go on now, there's the soup line.

Is this coup by paper?

Bill Clinton, for all his faults, didn't leave us looking for soup lines. I did well under Clinton. Maybe it was just timing and he had nothing to do with it, but give me the 1990s and Blue Dress Gate over what's happened since 2000 any day.

Here's an interesting note:

"For every dollar a Democratic president has raised the national debt in the past 63 years Republican presidents have raised the debt by $2.84."

Almost triple the debt.

How about this:

"Debt has been on a steady incline ever since the Reagan presidency. The only exception to the steep increase over the last 30 years was during the Clinton presidency, when he brought spending under control and the debt growth down to almost zero."

Or this:

"At no time since 1945 when Republicans have been in total charge of both elected branches of government have they ever reduced spending."

I do not understand how people can vote against their own economic well being. Maybe someone can explain that to me. Are those single issues that emotionally compelling?

I do not believe for one moment that this great country cannot get a hold of its budget. I think with thoughtfulness and prudent use of time, money and resources we can get out of this hole. But will it happen in my lifetime?

I am not so sure.

FDR, where are you?