Posted on 04/02/2010 3:16:22 AM PDT by Son House
ST. CHARLES — Standing before a crowd of high school students, 1st District Rep. Tim Walz pointed to a screen with a 14-digit number sprawled across the screen. That number, amounting to more than $12.6 trillion, is the current national debt.
"Whoa," said a high-schooler seated in the crowd.
During an all-school assembly Tuesday at St. Charles High School, Walz made the case that students need to care about the rising debt levels because their future depends on it. He said now is the time for politicians of both parties to work on a solution.
"When the government spends more money than it takes in, your family pays the price," the Democrat told students.
For more than a year, the divisive issue of health care reform has dominated federal politics. But with the recent passage of a health-care reform bill, Walz is looking to focus on other issues, including the economy, creating jobs and the national debt.
In the lead-up to the November election, Republicans have been blasting Walz, accusing him of reckless spending because he supported the $787 billion stimulus bill and the nearly $1 trillion health-care bill.
But while speaking to students, he emphasized that he believes it is critical to reach a bipartisan solution on the national debt. He said he has been meeting with two Republican lawmakers — Rep. Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma — to discuss ways to tackle the debt problem.
During his talk, Walz told students that they need to care because if the debt climbs too high, it could affect how much they end up paying for student loans, and whether they can get a car loan. It could also make it harder to get a job, and wages could end up being lower.
Unless something is done, Walz said, by the year 2040 every dollar in taxes will go to Social Security and Medicare and pay interest on the debt. There won't be any money "for a road, for a school, for a tank, for a soldier, for anybody," he said.
Walz told students that people disagree on the government's stimulus plan. He said that in his opinion it was needed to boost the economy and prevent a deeper recession.
When it comes to the budget, he said, the political divide centers on how to grow the economy. He said Republicans believe you grow the economy by leaving money in the private sector; Democrats have traditionally believed that investing in infrastructure and services help grow the economy. But Walz said that in his view, the two philosophies fail to solve the debt problem.
He told students that he backs the idea of "pay-as-you-go budgeting" so that every dollar spent has to be offset either by cutting spending or raising revenue. To give students an idea of how decisions to cut taxes or raise revenue affects the budget, he passed out a worksheet where they could make their own decisions.
Students peppered Walz with questions after the presentation. Student Jason Troendle asked how Walz balances the interest of getting re-elected and the interests of the nation?
Walz responded that he believes that "politics needs to be secondary" and that good policies end up being good politically.
Other questions included how the congressman would address the rising cost of Social Security and Medicare, how the government determines how much someone pays in taxes, and what should be done to address the nation's energy needs.
Advance Placement economics teacher Kris Bertelsen said that listening to the congressman helps students understand the real-world impact of fiscal policy.
"They hear me say it, but when they hear an elected official talking about it, it's more real," he said.
In an interview after the assembly, Walz said he's aware that Republicans have criticized his support for the stimulus and the health care bill. He said the health care bill is projected to bring down the deficit in the long term, which is why he supported it. He said he could ask Republicans why they supported eliminating pay-as-you-go budgeting and increasing the debt by not paying for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But ultimately, Walz said, the two parties need to come together to tackle the growing debt problem.
He added, "If we don't tackle this debt, I don't see how we ever get fiscal responsibility."
He said the health care bill is projected to bring down the deficit in the long term, which is why he supported it.
^
Because he voted his constituents to get less income to get that bogus CBO number to brag about
^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2484834/posts
Congressman Walz says, “I said there were a few lines in the sand needed in order for me to support it. It had to have pay-for-value...”
Pay for value refers to geographic disparities in Medicare payments;
For example, hospitals in Minnesota will receive significantly less for doing a procedure than a hospital in New York for doing the exact same thing.
My thoughts exactly. Triple the deficit in one year and then yell for bi-partisanship. Dolts.
Let’s see.
A Democrat addressing a major problem that he helped to create. That’s a good start. But, with whom was he talking when this happened? Adults that have the power , vote and pay check? Nope, their kids.
Wonder why? He is a bully, plain and simple. Bullies don’t like facing the results of their activity - they run and hide when forced to do so.
He “held” a meeting about both the debt and “Obamacare” and got publicity. But he did so in the most craven, cowardly manner possible, he spoke to emotional non-voting kids. Wonder what the reaction would have been if he had held it with their parents? Even carefully selected parents would have resulted in a different audience reaction. And he thinks this meeting was a “counter”?
Dimocrats - the party of bullies and cowards!
“”When the government spends more money than it takes in, your family pays the price,” the Democrat told students.”
The hypocrites in the dim party are amazing to watch.
What’s the value of bipartisanship when the democrats are always wrong?
He said now is the time for politicians of both parties to work on a solution.
YOU created the problem - YOU solve it. YOU don’t listen - YOU get no help.
Yeah, this guy is promoting this very appropriate warning — and then saying this health care bill will bring down the deficit. DOES ANYBODY BELIEVE THESE PEOPLE ANY MORE? DO THEY THINK WE ARE ALL IDIOTS?????
"When the government (Democrats) spends more money than it takes in, your family pays the price." Hey, Walz, you shudda thought about that earlier - YOU spent the money along with your president.
Walz is on the 2nd tier or vulnerable Dems.
Here are the (R’s) who are running in the primary-huge list. Input on the best R candidate is welcome
MN 1-Tim Walz’ challengers:
Randy Demmer, http://www.demmerforcongress.com/Home.aspx
Jim Engstrand, http://www.jimengstrand.com/
Jim Hagedom, http://www.hagedornforcongress.com/
Allen Quist, http://www.quistforcongress.com/
Carol Molnau, http://www.governor.state.mn.us/welcome/aboutltgovernormolnau/index.htm
Brian Davis
Brad Finstad
Frank McKinzie
Scott Wright
A Master List of vulnerable Dem seats is here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2484540/posts
Split the country, assign the US debt to the liberal fascists, allowing real Americans to build a new nation debt free.
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