Dakota Beacon

The National Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Debt Commission) has issued its “Draft Co-Chairs Proposal”. The document reveals the Debt Commission’s bias toward “establishment politicians”. While this initial effort is important to begin the dialogue, it does not factor in the current mood of our country toward real fiscal reform.

The document was presented by our own Senator Kent Conrad as being comprised of 75% budget cuts and 25% tax increases. To Senator Conrad’s credit, he honestly expressed his personal preference for 60% budget cuts and 40% tax increases. These true representations of Senator Conrad reveal an important problem with this proposal…it was developed by RINOs and Democrats, aging ex-conservatives and do-gooders that increasingly confuse “government” with “society” as they get closer to their maker.

First, let’s reveal the stances of the philosophical interests in tabulation form”

Plan Origin                                                    Budget Cuts   Taxation Increases

Takings Coalition (Erskin Bowles)                             60%                             40%

Draft Proposal (Average of Takings & RINOs)         75%                             25%

RINO elements (Alan Simpson)                                 90%                             10%

Tea Party (Unrepresented)                                          100%                           0%

The study is an excellent beginning as it reveals most of the areas to be targeted. It fails miserably due to the philosophical makeup of the commission. So the next step involves equal representation on the commission by adding the third element, Tea Party representatives. The commission must undergo the transformation from “Obama’s Commission” to “America’s Commission”.

Proposal for Commission to Continue on to a Fruitful Conclusion:

Nine RINOs on the commission is the mathematical equivalent of six (6) Republicans and three (3) Democrats…so the current commission is really lopsided, effectively 12 Democrats to 6 Republicans. So adding six (6) Tea Party representatives to the commission immediately would even the playing field to twelve (12) on each side of the philosophical equation. These new members of the commission should be the six (6) tea party supported candidates that came closest to winning their Senate and House elections on November 2nd to balance the nine (9) Takings Coalition and nine RINO members that currently occupy seats on the commission. And the math says that the goal should be 85% Budget Cuts and 15% Taxation REFORM. Simplification and elimination of exemptions for special interests should be the major element of the Taxation Reform.

We are closer than we think to solving our nation’s debt problems; now the powers in Washington need only to acknowledge the Tea Party message on the commission and get the job done to benefit the taxpayers, not special interests from both sides of the isle.