Apr 9, 2011

Good news GOV "Shutdown Averted", Bad news... Interest payments on national debt set to explode

"Reducing spending while still investing in the future is just common sense,"
"That's what families do in tough times. They sacrifice where they can, even if it's hard, to afford what's really important."

The last-minute agreement reached Friday to keep the government funded for the next six months would cut approximately $38.5 billion from the 2010 budget baseline, officials said, and $78.5 billion from Obama's 2011 budget proposal. - ABC News


For those of the public who are completely oblivious of a problem...
Federal debt service may do a disservice
»  Interest paid on federal debt in 2009: $202 billion
»  Projected interest in 2019: More than $700 billion
»  Current federal spending
»  Military: $664 billion
»  Social Security: $644 billion
»  Medicare and Medicaid: $632 billion
The National Debt is $14.2 Trillion and we can not even pay back the "interest alone" the reason is simplicity itself: if you borrow $1 and promise to pay back $1.05, it is one thing, but if everyone borrows $1 and promises to pay back $1.05, then it is quite another!
Obviously, a lot of people are going to have to borrow $1.10 to pay back the $1.05, and then they have to borrow $1.16, then $1.22, then $1.28, all the time getting worse and worse and worse.
And now that government (local, state and federal) spending comprises HALF of all spending in the USA, the system has hideously mutated into a giant corrupt cesspool that is totally dependent on borrowing to support government spending.

U. S. Treasury Department report to Congress: U.S debt to rise to $19.6 trillion by 2015.
 http://www.hermes-press.com/di.jpg
The Obama administration has been sounding hazard warnings all year on the need to raise the U.S. debt limit, but it has yet to deliver the worst news: Congress may have to raise it by more than $2 trillion

Neither the administration nor lawmakers in Congress want to talk about it, but an increase of at least $1 trillion is needed to keep the government running through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, an analysis of deficit forecasts and U.S. Treasury borrowing needs shows.

To last until the November 2012 presidential election, the increase would need to be well over $2 trillion. - CNBC

Also see these Gems: (Also see budget pie chart right)