Danger: Demolition in Progress
By: Dan Dinunzio
As a college student who attends the University of Connecticut, I’m very worried in the direction this country is headed in. What scares me even more is I don’t know what is worse; what is happening in Washington D.C. with healthcare reform, or right here in Connecticut where a budget was finally passed through the Senate. Right now, the direction this country is headed in as a whole is one that doesn’t bode well for a strong majority of people my age.
If the leaders of this country pass through a healthcare bill that includes a public option, the negative impact it will have will be felt for years to come. A taxpayer sponsored medical insurance plan is the last piece of legislation this country needs at this point in time. It quite clear that whenever the government takes a large stake in something it doesn’t quite compete like it’s part of the free market.
I realize that one of Mr. Obama’s big campaign promises was Universal Healthcare. The fact of the matter is this country is not even one year removed from one of the most serious economic crises seen since the Great Depression. Would it really hurt to wait it out and see how the economy recovers?
Congress has spent billions of taxpayers money already to bail out those on Wall Street. Mr. Bernanke and the Federal Reserve took drastic and necessary steps by pumping millions of dollars into the economy to keep it afloat. He did an incredible job to recessitate and revive an economy that had been practically been put on life support after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers was announced. The exit strategy of how we get out of this financial mess is just as important as the swift necessary action Mr. Bernanke took last September going into this fiasco.
There’s still money being given out by a 787 billion dollar stimulus plan that was passed early on this year. The America Recovery and Reinvestment Act has not had the success that most envisioned thus far. It is still only September, and hopefully the amount of money being put to good work starts to accelerate and move forward.
There is certainly a lot going on in Washington, but I’m equally disturbed by what is happening at the state level. Here in Connecticut we finally have a budget on the table after a seven month struggle between parties. The sad part is it is going to go into law without Governor Rell’s signature, and instead she has voiced her opinion in favor of using the line item veto.
It is good to know that she is going to eliminate what she sees as waste and unnecessary spending. It is very uncomforting to think about where this budget will put us two years from now in 2011. Taxes are already going up on many wealthy families. There has been tuition increases at all the State Universities. At the same time thousands of people are losing their jobs and living on tight budgets.
Connecticut is also benefiting largely from the previously mentioned stimulus package. Three billion dollars to be exact. We received that much money and still had one of the most vicious budget battles going back to the introduction of the income tax in 1991.
For the working class and youths like myself, we are living in an economic climate that is frightening. Connecticut still needed to borrow one billion dollars to cover the deficit. I hate to say it but we could be put in an even tougher position come 2011 if revenue and spending project estimates do not meet the projections.
Raising taxes does raise revenue but at the end of the day is it the best way? There are prosperous business owners who employ people to work elswhere or for them. If they think they are paying too much money in taxes they have the right to move their business even worse to cut jobs in operation.
Moving forward, if the Obama Adminstration decides to raise taxes when the Bush cuts expire, it will only increase the damage that is being done to American business. More and more jobs will be outsourced and it will only hinder sustainable economic growth in this country. Businesses are always looking to save the most cost efficient ways. President Obama should take a closer look at what Ronald Reagan did in the 1980’s. Cutting taxes is the single most effective way to increase economic growth. It also provides more opportunity for new jobs and more money to invest in new technology.
The truth is President Obama is going to do what he wants to do. He has an agenda and he is strictly staying on that course. Taxes are going to be raised on all Americans. A middle-class tax increase would be one that would be a large campaign lie from the Obama adminstration. Then again the money has to come from somewhere. The easiest place is right out of the pockets of Americans like you and I.
If spending continues at this rate, American is rapidly becoming a country that owes more then what it is worth. Foreign nations can only fund our debt for so long at such low rates.Then who’s going to be willing? There needs to be some serious restoring of checks and balances starting with the President and Congress.
The truth is there are serious deficits all over the country at both federal and state levels.Washington D.C. has gone bizzurk when it comes to spending over the last decade. A direct effect of this is evident in the increasing budget struggles in states all across the country. The problems that America faces today are of historical proportions. It is as if America is a car with no brakes driving straight off a cliff. The only way there is a remote possibility of avoiding that cliff is if there is a significant change in the course of action.
There are major decisions to be made in the coming months and with each decision comes consequences. Lets just pray the leaders of this country use their best judgement and keep in mind the people that elected them to serve. If our elected officials fail us now during a time when they are needed the most, it is our generation that is going to pay a severe price for years to come.
The author is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut planning on double majoring in Journalism and Political Science.
Published on Sept. 4 2009 in 
