The US is in dire need of austerity measures, and any Washington wonk or wannabe who disagrees has no business in government. We ran another multi-trillion dollar deficit ($1.8T), and the national debt crossed the $36T mark. Is anyone paying attention?

The days of hundred billion-dollar deficits are long gone. Spending exceeds revenue by trillions and will continue to do so indefinitely. This is the definition of financial instability, and it doesn’t end well. The question is, what type of austerity, and how do you manage it? The left wants to raise taxes, but that will crush growth. Republicans want to lower taxes, but by themselves, this will lead to even bigger deficits. The answer is simple. Massive government cuts with substantial tax cuts. 

Vivek and Elon want to cut $2T. Great idea. Maybe they saw my website 2 years ago when I pushed for a return to a pre-COVID budget (coincidentally $2T less). Oh, I also called for an end to the Department of Education. And no, the $105B doesn’t go back to the states. That wouldn’t save a dime. You END the Department of Education, period. Frankly, we don’t have a choice. The spending path we’re on is unsustainable. And this is much easier than they want to admit.

If I were king, of the 15 agencies, 5 would remain (State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, and VA). 2 would be eliminated (Education and Homeland Security-which Defense and DOJ would handle). The rest (Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, HHS, HUD, Interior, Labor, and Transportation) would be combined into 1, the Department of Domestic Affairs. We could cut the federal leviathan in half. At the very least, these departments must be relocated out of Washington, cutting the insane cost of living in DC while bringing revenue into cities that could use it. Most importantly, it would diminish the concentration of power Washington has abused for so long. 

Second, tax cuts for corporations and individuals. A 15% corporate rate would make the US the most competitive in the world. And a 15% flat tax would ensure “everyone pays their fair share.” Of course, this only works if we gut the job/growth-killing regulatory environment. 

In 4 years, we will be $50T in debt. Just the interest will cost $2.5T. Starting to see the picture? Fact is, we have the way to save America. The question is, do we have the will? 

“America, blessed with so many people willing to die for the country, is on the verge of becoming a country willing to die for the people.” Greg Merk, Georgetown University