As our Government officials continue to debate the current budget details one thing remains a constant. Both sides will blame the other for causing the situation and of being responsible for our National Debt which has exploded to more than 14 TRILLION dollars.
Now for the TRUTH.
I'm going to list below a summary of the make up of the Executive and Legislative branches for the past 30 years and also debt levels during that time.
If you look closely and with an open mind (not locked into either Party) you will see that the growth of our National Debt has exploded without regard to which political party has been "in charge".
1980
President - Ronald Reagan (R)
House - 192 (R) 243 (D)
Senate - 53 (R) 46 (D) 1 (I)
National Debt (9-30-1980) = 907.7 BILLION
1982 (Mid term)
President - Ronald Reagan (R)
House - 166 (R) 269 (D)
Senate - 54 (R) 46 (D)
National Debt (9-30-1982) = 1.14 TRILLION
1984
President - Ronald Reagan (R)
House - 182 (R) 253 (D)
Senate - 53 (R) 47 (D)
National Debt (9-30-1984) = 1.57 TRILLION
1986
President - Ronald Reagan (R)
House - 177 (R) 258 (D)
Senate - 45 (R) 55 (D)
National Debt (9-30-186) = 2.125 TRILLION
1988
President - George H.W. Bush (R)
House - 175 (R) 260 (D)
Senate - 45 (R) 55 (D)
National Debt (9-30-1988) = 2.6 TRILLION
1990
President - George H.W. Bush (R)
House - 167 (R) 267 (D)
Senate - 44 (R) 56 (D)
National Debt (9-30-1990) = 3.23 TRILLION
1992
President - Bill Clinton (D)
House - 176 (R) 258 (D)
Senate - 43 (R) 57 (D)
National Debt (9-30-1992) = 4.06 TRILLION
1994
President - Bill Clinton (D)
House - 230 (R) 204 (D) 1 (I)
Senate - 52 (R) 48 (D)
National Debt (9-30-1994) = 4.69 TRILLION
1996
President - Bill Clinton (D)
House - 228 (R) 206 (D) 1 (I)
Senate - 55 (R) 45 (D)
National Debt - (9-30-1996) = 5.22 TRILLION
1998
President - Bill Clinton (D)
House - 223 (R) 211 (D) 1 (I)
Senate - 55 (R) 45 (D)
National Debt (9-30-1998) = 5.52 TRILLION
2000
President - George W. Bush (R)
House - 221 (R) 212 (D) 2 (I)
Senate - 50 (R) 50 (D)
National Debt - (9-30-2000) = 5.67 TRILLION
2002
President - George W. Bush (R)
House - 229 (R) 204 (D) 2 (I)
Senate - 51 (R) 48 (D) 1 (I)
National Debt (9-30-2002) = 6.22 TRILLION
2004
President - George W. Bush (R)
House - 232 (R) 202 (D) 1 (I)
Senate - 55 (R) 44 (D) 1 (I)
National Debt (9-30-2004) = 7.38 TRILLION
2006
President - George W. Bush (R)
House - 202 (R) 233 (D)
Senate - 49 (R) 49 (D) 2 (I)
National Debt (9-30-2006) = 8.51 TRILLION
2008
President - Barack Obama (D)
House - 178 (R) 257 (D)
Senate - 41 (R) 57 (D) 2 (I)
National Debt (9-30-2008) = 10.0 TRILLION
2010
President - Barack Obama (D)
House - 242 (R) 193 (D)
Senate - 47 (R) 51 (D) 2 (I)
National Debt (9-30-2010) = 13.56 TRILLION
Since 1980 (actually January of 1981) we have had a Republican President for 20 of the 30 years and a Democrat President for 10 of the 30 years.
Since 1980 (actually January of 1981) the House of Representatives has shown the Republicans in the majority for 12 of the 30 years and the Democrats in the majority for 18 of the 30 years.
Since 1980 (actually January of 1981) the Senate has shown a Republican majority for 18 of the 30 years and the Democrats in the majority for 12 of the 30 years (for 2 years from 2006 to 2008 2 Independents in the Senate actually decided the majority).
So, what has all this information revealed?
The National Debt has increased in this 30 year period from just over 900 BILLION to almost 14 TRILLION. This has happened NO MATTER which political Party has been in the White House or which Party has been in the majority in the House or Senate.
Spending is and always will be an ongoing part of our Government. Both parties always campaign with bold statements about controlling spending and reducing the debt and ALWAYS blame the "other side" for our fiscal woes. The fact is that BOTH sides have created our current crisis (is it really a crisis?). The Democrats through the years have endorsed numerous social programs and allowed far too many of these to become major additions to the growing debt. The Republicans have supported numerous military actions without regard to the costs (which have added a few trillion to the debt). The Republicans continue to endorse large subsidies for oil interests (billions of dollars) and continue to believe that taxes must be lowered in order to save the country. When estimated revenues are only 60% of estimated spending as they are for the current fiscal year, the bickering about 10 or 20 billion that is going on now is meaningless. Why? Because our annual deficits are between 1 and 2 TRILLION DOLLARS.
If there is not going to be a tax increase to bring revenues up to 3.5 Trillion and spending can't be reduced to 3.5 trillion we will never see a balanced budget. IF the Republicans believe that we can cut spending by more than ONE TRILLION DOLLARS without major cuts to Defense spending (which is about 25% of our total spending) they are not being honest and are just giving us political spin. IF the Democrats don't step up and demand cuts in military spending AND don't hold out for tax increases (that must happen) and the elimination of subsidies and tax credits (that add up to 10's of billions annually) and don't stop many assistance programs (that are being exploited by too many people) they are just giving us political spin.
The Blame Game will continue because neither side is willing to accept the fiscal facts and they will continue to be ruled by the money interests that in the end, get them elected. They are trapped so they must stand before us and lie.
A note about the debt. More than half of the published National Debt is, in reality, owed to ourselves. Congress has "borrowed" about 3 TRILLION dollars from the once protected (but not since 1968) Social Security Trust Fund. Individual States have "borrowed" hundreds of billions from the Federal Government and continue to do so. Will they pay these loans back and reduce the National Debt?
Who is to blame? It's TIME TO THINK AGAIN!
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