Wisdom From The Past: Illuminating Our Future

When the Democrats oppose proposed budget cuts and proposed ways to save money thereby saving the country from bankruptcy, their usual charge is, "The Republicans don't have a plan."  We don't know about you, our readers, we are tired of hearing their mantra and have their supporters parrot it back.  The GOP has a plan, it has always had a plan in Congressman Paul Ryan's Road Map for America's Future, which was submitted to the president, and remained unanswered, not once, but twice.   Those whose duty it is to  report the news have paid it as little attention as the Democrats have. It took Congressman Ryan going on the offensive and speaking out before anyone sat up and took notice. 

Two Sisters have been talking about Congressman Ryan and his ideas for budget reduction for quite some time.  We were impressed when we first heard about it, and have attempted to get others interested in it.  It is going to be a long, hard fought battle to get the Senate, the president, and perhaps even some of Mr. Ryan's House colleagues to sign off on such steep cuts.  They are needed.  If we are going to get our nation back on track, then we are going to have to think about the greater good, and tighten our belts a tad.    Medicare reform will most definitely affect us personally.  We are fearful about the future, but we have to do more than just pay lip service to fiscal reform.  We have to agree to support those who are thinking ahead for the future of our country and actually implementing laws that will cut back expenses.

Children have a way of making parents feel guilty about certain decisions made, by shouting, "It's not fair!"  This always reminds us of the story about King Solomon's wisdom as told in Kings 3:16-28.  When two women approach the King with one child, each claiming to be the rightful mother, Solomon must resolve a dispute that has no easy solution.  Because there were no witnesses and no evidence as to which of the two women was telling the truth, Solomon called for a sword and declared that the only fair solution was to split the child in half, giving each woman her fair share.  The true mother revealed herself by selflessly asking Solomon to give the child to the other woman but to spare the child's life.  The liar and impostor, told Solomon that the child should not be hers or the other woman's, and told him to divide it.  The real mother of course was the one willing to relinquish her child in order to spare its life.

Is it fair that our government has been careless with the money entrusted to it and has allowed us to reach a financial crisis of this magnitude?  Of course not!  The question we now face as citizens is;  Are we willing to relinquish some of our "benefits" in order to help the nation survive an eminent financial disaster, or are we going to shout, "Not Fair!" and cause the wheels of fiscal reform to come to a grinding halt?  Are we going to be like the teachers and members of organized labor in Wisconsin, and other states, not willing to give a little for the good of all?  Each of us must wrestle with the answer.  Each of us must decide for ourselves what we will or won't support.  Two Sisters can only tell you what we feel and ask you to ponder the options we are given.  In looking towards the future we think of those in the younger generations who will follow in our wake. 

The future of our offspring, is what motivates us.  We were blessed to be Americans and to live in the greatest country in the world, at a time when our moral values were strong, our faith unshaken, and our Constitution was our country's guide. Those days are fleeting.  Thankfully there are young legislators like Paul Ryan, and Marco Rubio, who are determined to help all of us restore our beleaguered nation to its former status.  As patriotic Americans we can strengthen their efforts by giving them our full support.

Our favorite Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson said :  "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."  As government increases in size, our liberty is diminished.  We have a president, backed by Democrats who has dismissed the Constitution and is gradually turning our republican form of government into an imperial presidency.

We are on the threshold of the worst economic crisis this nation has ever faced.  The value of the dollar world wide is at an all time low.  The rate of unemployment in America is astronomical.  The real estate market has not been able to recover.  Small businesses are closing, and the demands placed on small business owners by Obamacare are causing many to operate on a shoe string.  All but a few are touched by this economic quagmire.  It is time to decrease wasteful spending, become fiscally responsible and learn to trim the fat!

The GOP leadership in the House is about to introduce legislation that will slash deficits by $4 trillion. " On Medicaid, Ryan will propose to block grant the program to states, which would save money, allow it to grow at a predictable rate, and give governors more flexibility over how it is implemented. This is a popular option among many governors who are struggling with Medicaid costs, and it’s a proposal that has already attracted bipartisan support (at least intellectually speaking), as it was previously co-proposed with Alice Rivlin, the former Clinton budget director."

"When it comes to Medicare, Ryan has previously proposed fundamentally reforming it to give retirees vouchers to purchase private insurance that would vary by income and health status. So, for instance, a poor and very sick beneficiary would receive a lot more than a very rich and healthy beneficiary. However, this reform would not kick in right away, as it only applies to those 55 and under. Thus, it would take time to produce savings and those wouldn’t show up in the CBO’s 10-year budget window."

"Ryan has supported the repeal of the national health care law. Were he simply to propose a repeal of the bill’s Medicaid expansion, which would add 18 million to the program’s rolls by 2021, it would save $674 billion from 2012 to 2021, according to CBO."

Brace yourselves the cuts on entitlement programs will be deep, but that is where most of the waste has been.  No one wants to see America's children go without health insurance, or go hungry, but neither do we want to see good money thrown away.  We've created an entitlement mentality in the U.S. that has stifled initiative, and willingness to achieve.  We have to look hard to see examples of the American pioneer spirit still alive.  It is the pioneer spirit which defines the American experience.  Through hardships, discoveries, struggles and perseverance, the early Americans adapted their lifestyles on the frontier and made a nation come to life.  The time has come to resurrect that spirit and face the challenges and changes that loom ahead. 

As we make decisions and prepare to  face a future of debt and uncertainty let us remember the words of Thomas Jefferson:  "But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they are forming that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself can validly contract more debt, than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19 years." (September 6, 1789)   Words of wisdom from the past, applicable  today and in our future.