In my opinion, governments that have money are stronger than governments starved for funds.

Republicans are militant about cutting taxes. It makes it more likely that the U.S. will be weaker. All too often, the Democrats, who know better, join the tax-cutting frenzy.

The Republicans are clearly correct when they raise the possibility that the national debt can leave the U.S. vulnerable to a financial cataclysm. Higher taxes are one step for preventing this. The bigger the debt, the more money must come in. I condemn Republicans for raising the debt but making the U.S. weaking by lowering taxes especially on the rich. A combination that invites disaster.

For years, the U.S. delayed a crisis by keeping interest rates at historic lows, making it easier to pay the debt.  The recent increase in interest rates brings a new reality.  The Federal Reserve has raised rates dramatically and higher interest payments make the debt more expensive.

According to the New York Times the U.S. Treasury Department announced “that net interest on the debt increased to a record $659 billion in 2023,” This is about one-third higher than the cost last year of $475 billion. The Peterson Foundation, a fiscal watchdog, predicted interest costs would reach $10.6 trillion in “the next decade.” Spending on interest would be double “what the U.S. has spent on interest over the last 20 years.”

Still, the Republicans want to cut taxes, in my opinion making the U.S. weaker. This country’s Treasury is vulnerable. The Republicans don’t listen. They pretend they can cut government services but are perfectly happy when they fail. Remember when Republicans were going to end Obamacare?

To hear Republican budget cutters, the problem is mandated costs, a hostile description of money that that goes to other Americans, for example for medical care and disability payments. Proving, in my humble opinion, that as the population gets older, social security payments and medical costs go up, and we can no more stop high and low tides. All too often the budget cutting mania strikes mothers and children. Less often there are large dollar increases for education.

I believe it is prudent to increase the money coming in. For this reason, I believe Freedom Democrats should reject the tax-cutting mania. Republican tax-cutting is bad for America.

I recommend that some Freedom Democrats take a close look at this issue. Millions of thoughtful Americans worry about a future debt-crisis. It is not likely that there will be large spending cuts. Raise taxes, find the money to service this debt, and improve services: more help with college tuition, more doctors, more nurses. It is a way for Freedom Democrats to find allies. Millions of people who don’t care about the right to privacy that we hold dear but who worry about the budget might take the Freedom Democrats seriously.

One way to service the debt is raising taxes. Another way is using government money to increase U.S. economic growth and use the increased revenue to manage the debt. If the U.S. economy was growing by 4% instead of the 2.06% it grew in 2020. Wages can rise and tax revenues increase.

Money is a pain in the neck. These policies will bring inflation, so the Freedom Democrats should support higher wages because prices are rising. Fighting inflation becomes a problem. Finding money always has problems. It is the job of politicians to resolve these difficulties.

The pain of raising taxes can have a positive ending, increased revenue from economic growth. Talking about money causes discomfort, but the critical question is what are we getting for the higher taxes.

We should demand of our politicians that the government use taxes to provide better services. Only a few will support higher taxes if the money just goes to pay off the debt.

Countries that pay much higher taxes, like the Scandinavian countries, get tuition-free college, free medical care, schools that have swimming pools and psychologists helping teachers and students deal with the problems that come from growing up. Go on YouTube and the voters in Northern Europe pay more than a third of their income in taxes and don’t want to change. They know what they’re getting for their money.

I believe Ronald Reagan was wrong. Government isn’t the problem. The government freed the slaves. Government spending brought prosperity after World War II. If the United States created a national health insurance program, more people will visit doctors and take pills. Since there is no longer a copayment, these costs will rise. The good news is that the number of well-paying jobs in the medical field will grow as more nurses and more doctors are needed. Government isn’t the problem, government is the opportunity.

In my opinion Democrats are more likely to do this than Republicans.