On being fiscally responsible

Slate has an excellent article on how being fiscally conservative in today's America is probably the most frustrating thing ever: Everybody sympathizes, nobody really does anything about it. Here is a key quote: Bush officials and advisers say they're going to balance out the costs, but they've said that before. Privately they seem to have a less rigorous view of the perils of blowing the bank. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil says that when he tried to resist tax cuts, Vice President Cheney replied: "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." During last year's presidential campaign, a senior administration official put their worldview more bluntly: "Name me one person who has lost an election because of the deficit." This , I believe, is an important topic, especially with the debate on how to fund or pay for the $60 Billion needed for initial Katrina relief. Now, I may not the be smartest tool in the shed, but this seems like a good place to start! Just saying!