I heard my old friend, retired Senator Alan Simpson talking about the national debt. If Congress decides to raise it again, Simpson said our debt would be 14 Trillion, 600 Billion Dollars!
"I don't even know what that is" he exclaimed. Neither do I other than it must have a lot of zeros. I still think we need to officially designate Gazillion as the next measurement because if things don't stop it's where we'll crash.
Above all Simpson made an excellent point. Regardless of your political bent, ask your elected representatives exactly what they plan on doing to cut the budget. Substantive cuts. The real deal. Not vague posturing. Simpson predicts most if not all, will simply dance around the answer. Sadly he's right.
14 Trillion, 600 Billion Dollars. Think on that.
Brian Olson
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you"
Showing posts with label Alan Simpson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alan Simpson. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Where there's no will, there's no way.
Op-Ed
You've likely heard of, but perhaps not read the recommendations of the Presidential Debt Reduction Commission. You can read it here. The commission is led by former Wyoming Senator Alan K. Simpson and Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles. (This disclaimer: I've known Senator Simpson for some 25 years, seeing him most recently this past September)
Simpson's comments while making the rounds of interviews have been his usual colorful self. Bowles has been a bit more scholarly in tone. Either way, the focus is clear: Increase revenues and cut spending.
It's basic economics, which is understood everywhere else except government. It's hard to understand, why government can't understand, that you can't spend money you don't have.
The nation is broke. Deficits and debt are measured in the Trillions and we'll soon have to invent a new word for the next level. For now I'll use a Gazillion.
Gadzooks.
There of course have been howls of outrage about what needs to be done to dig out of this hole. Simpson responds, ""America, you have a serious problem and time is short to address it." Bowles makes his feeling clear as well describing Washington's penchant for spending money like drunken sailors as " a cancer, destroying our nation from within."
Some pundits question why we on Main Street should bear the brunt of all this. They say it was Washington, not us who created the problem. Actually it is our fault. We elected the same people year after year, decade after decade to bring home the bacon. It's our job and responsibility as citizens to pay attention to what's going on in Washington. The power lies with us, we only lend it to those we elect to represent us.
We were asleep at the switch while Washington maxed out the national credit card, manufactured new ones and maxed those too. The bills have come due. We've run out of paper and plastic.
If we have the will, we will find a way to dig out from the mountain of debt that is our sad legacy to our kids, our grand kids and their kids. It's going to hurt, big-time, for a long time.
But if we don't have the will, there's no way out. China owns the second mortgage on the White House and are licking their chops to foreclose.
Think about it.
Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversation about you"
You've likely heard of, but perhaps not read the recommendations of the Presidential Debt Reduction Commission. You can read it here. The commission is led by former Wyoming Senator Alan K. Simpson and Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles. (This disclaimer: I've known Senator Simpson for some 25 years, seeing him most recently this past September)
Simpson's comments while making the rounds of interviews have been his usual colorful self. Bowles has been a bit more scholarly in tone. Either way, the focus is clear: Increase revenues and cut spending.
It's basic economics, which is understood everywhere else except government. It's hard to understand, why government can't understand, that you can't spend money you don't have.
The nation is broke. Deficits and debt are measured in the Trillions and we'll soon have to invent a new word for the next level. For now I'll use a Gazillion.
Gadzooks.
There of course have been howls of outrage about what needs to be done to dig out of this hole. Simpson responds, ""America, you have a serious problem and time is short to address it." Bowles makes his feeling clear as well describing Washington's penchant for spending money like drunken sailors as " a cancer, destroying our nation from within."
Some pundits question why we on Main Street should bear the brunt of all this. They say it was Washington, not us who created the problem. Actually it is our fault. We elected the same people year after year, decade after decade to bring home the bacon. It's our job and responsibility as citizens to pay attention to what's going on in Washington. The power lies with us, we only lend it to those we elect to represent us.
We were asleep at the switch while Washington maxed out the national credit card, manufactured new ones and maxed those too. The bills have come due. We've run out of paper and plastic.
If we have the will, we will find a way to dig out from the mountain of debt that is our sad legacy to our kids, our grand kids and their kids. It's going to hurt, big-time, for a long time.
But if we don't have the will, there's no way out. China owns the second mortgage on the White House and are licking their chops to foreclose.
Think about it.
Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversation about you"
Monday, September 13, 2010
Here's to old friends.
(L-R) Brian Olson, Senator Al Simpson, Gov. Mike Sullivan, Ronda Olson(Photo: Brea Olson)
A great weekend in Austin, TX was capped off my a surprise encounter with some very respected friends from Wyoming. We were touring the LBJ Presidential Library at the University of Texas-Austin prior to the Texas-Wyoming game. One of the terrific exhibits is a recreation of the Oval Office. We noticed some familiar faces, Senator Alan Simpson (Ret) and Governor Mike Sullivan (Ret) of Wyoming.
When I was News Director at KGWN-TV in Cheyenne from 1986-1994 it was my good fortune to cover and get to know both these gentlemen. Simpson is a Republican, Sullivan a Democrat. That doesn't mean a lot in Wyoming where elected officials put their constituents first and their personal ambitions second. We need more of that these days. A lot more.
Simpson continues to serve the nation. He is co-chairing the Debt Reduction Commission. Let's hope Washington listens. Governor Sullivan went on to serve as Ambassador to Ireland. Both were frequent visitors to the real Oval Office. So far in life I'll have to settle for the museum version.
Seeing both again was a highlight of a great day in Texas, and a reminder that good and decent public servants still exist. You just have to find them, or at least run into them when you least expect it!
Have a great week ahead everyone.
Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversations about you"
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