Practice What You Preach

This past week President Obama caught some heat for comments he made about Las Vegas which angered Las Vegas businessman and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

In addressing an audience in New Hampshire President Obama offered the following advice: “When times are tough, you tighten your belts. You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don’t blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you’re trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices.”

I’m not sure that I have ever agreed so strongly in principle with the President but there’s a great deal of symbolism in the President’s analysis. While American families are indeed investing in their futures saving for college for future generations of Americans Washington is doing the opposite. We are facing our 3rd consecutive trillion dollar deficit and the Democrats voted this week to increase our debt limit again, this time to a staggering $14.2 trillion. This is the opposite of saving for college i.e. investing in our future; it is bankrupting our future. This debt will be paid by the same generation of Americans that are being responsible on their own and investing in future generations

In agreeing in principle I wish that the President and Congress, Democrats and Republicans, would adhere to their advice and apply it to their own spending habits. Times are tough but we have seen anything but a tightening of the belts. Our nation has taken out a 2nd and 3rd mortgages, please join Mike in helping stop Washington from buying boats while skipping the mortgage.