According to the US Debt Clock web site, our unfunded liabilities are now well over $100 trillion, which dwarfs the "official" national debt of $14 trillion. President Obama called for a spending freeze last night, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution touched on some of the reaction this morning.
This past election should have sent a clear message that we want a smaller government. We’ve been fiscally irresponsible for too long, we have built up a debt that threatens to crush our economic growth and national security and simply frreezing spending isn't enough.
In many ways, Georgia would be better off if the federal government reduced spending. We are a net loser in transportation funding, getting back much less than we send to Washington in gas taxes. We would also have more flexibility. Rhode Island actually had a state budget surplus this year, and much of the credit was given to the flexibility given to them by a Medicaid block grant. Without the onerous federal strings attached they were able to cover the same number of people more efficiently and effectively.
Here's a good place to start. If you can't find a particular federal program in the enumerated powers of the Constitution, stop spending money on it and let the states take responsibility!
