FIX FEDERAL DEBT FOREVER

PRIMARIES, EXTREMELY NARROW PATHWAY PREVENTS COMPETITION QUAGMIRE (def.) – a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position Merriam-Webster The Primary Pathway OBJECTIVE OF THESE POSTS To increase public conviction that there will not be a problem-solving Congress until electoral methods that shield our two parties are improved to permit fair competition from others than parties X and Y. FOUNDING FATHERS QUOTES ON POLITICAL PARTIES Madison said, “different leaders ambitiously

CAUSES: Non-Proportional Voting, Safe Seats, Others Not Rooted in Electoral Laws NON-PROPORTIONAL VOTING Proportional voting means that the results of an election are as proportional to the desires of the voters in that election as practicable. The information below shows that non-proportional voting can be quite unfair. California just voted to permit further gerrymandering that may create more imbalance (see below). Gerrymandering is one type of electoral law. Of course, si

EVIDENCE: SEE SAW CONGRESS, REGULAR ORDER, FAILURE TO PREVENT AND SOLVE THE BIG PROBLEMS PROBLEM Over the past roughly 10-25 years, our U.S. Congress has evolved into a bipolar quagmire, this becoming increasingly obvious in the past several years. OBJECTIVE Analyze the root causes for the dysfunction of Congress and stimulate corrections. ANALYSIS There is plenty of evidence that Congress has become a constant two-party battle for control. The parties view winning and power

Evidence: CAREERISM, ANIMOSITY & DISCORD, POLARIZATION, BLOCK VOTING Quagmire is defined as “a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position: Predicament” Merriam-Webster AN EXAMPLE OF QUAGMIRE Peterson Foundation debt graph until 2054 showing 7 think tanks. These seven think tanks in 2024 showed in detailed reports how to put America on a responsible and fair fiscal path forward. Thoughtful research has already been done! WHY IS CONGRESS PROCRASTINATING? This series of Subs

WE CITIZENS MUST RECLAIM OUR COUNTRY FIASCO The latest debt ceiling crisis is still unresolved as I write these words. However, I decided to slip in an extra post to discuss lessons made more obvious by this fiasco. The next regular post will be published this Thursday, November 13. This “debt ceiling” crisis should never have happened. A well-run Congress would not have had the debt ceiling machete to attack a problem that should never have occurred. Samples of long-obvious

If not, questions arise - like What, How, Why, Who Gallup – October 2025 We have two all-powerful political parties in contrast with most other respected world democracies. One outcome of an election is that each chamber of Congress is controlled by one or the other of the two parties. Since the parties are so similar in size, the power will be almost evenly divided in each chamber. See the chart below. Due to the nature of two opposing entities striving for power – much like

Previous posts have stated that this Substack series is devoted to two topics. These two topics are closely related and listed below. After about ten posts on the fiscal matter, the focus shifted in mid-August to the second topic, Congress. However, this post is about Debt Ceilings, a fiscal matter, and one very much on everyone’s minds these days. It also happens to fit very well into the Congress’s-activities topic. The unsustainable federal fiscal policies, and Congress’s

How We Arrived at Today's Quandary History (From my book Combative Congress, Your Power! Your Voice! ) This home in New York state depicts our long and proud history. History References Drutman, Lee. The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America , Oxford University Press, 2020. Eckam, Dan. Beyond Two Parties, Why America Needs a Multiparty System and How We Can Have It , 2019 Bullock, Dennis R. The Role of Political Parties in Preventing Congress fro

What are the Motivations - for Parties and Members of Congress? Cattle Chute A Funneling Process, Like the Electoral Methods for Congress Motivations What motivates a member of Congress to work on one topic or another? And what is the motivation to vote yes or no? Members running for reelection have around a 90% probability of retaining their seats, so their voting records don’t sway as many voters as is commonly thought. The winner for every seat is almost guaranteed to be f

Oath of Office: …I will well and faithfully discharge the duties… The previous Post discussed: · Confidence in Congress is 6% A Great Deal , 49% Only Some, and 44% Hardly Any · Party loyalty and its causes · Hostility, driven by Party Power and Careerism · Having only two parties is very much the exception among important countries. They average having 3.9 parties large enough to be effective, over 5%. What voters want and deserve f

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” – Albert Einstein Don’t Let the Sun Set on America Introduction This Substack began in early May and listed the two topics on which it would focus: The unstainable federal fiscal policies, and Congress’s shunning solving our big problems Please use this link to see the fiscal policies posts: https://tommast.substack.com/publish/posts/published The U.S. federal debt is just one of the unso

Acme Media Group, NYC, October 24, 2029 The Treasury Department held a regular sale today of debt instruments to raise funds for activities of the federal government.  However, very few buyers showed up, and those demanded 12% to loan money to the U.S. government!  This is the disaster many have predicted – the trigger to coming woes.  The President has declared an emergency and called for a Joint Session of Congress tomorrow.  First on the agenda is the collapsed market for

Summary – The Relentless Federal Debt Growth Preface This post is the last of seven posts on The Relentless Federal Debt Growth.  Next will be a series on the causes of Congress’s reluctance to solve our country’s big problems and what is needed.   Most retired folks with a great family and a happy life might question why I spend some money and lots of time being part of tackling such huge problems.  The answer is simple.  I believe that excessive federal debt and an ineffect

The Time Bomb is Ticking More Loudly Preface   One sees and hears almost constantly in the media these days about the severity and urgency of our ever-growing federal debt.  See the June 17 post on Severity.   The word Plan  in this article’s title is defined as a detailed blueprint produced by a Congressional Commission to be enacted by Congress to meet the objective below.   The Plan  is all-inclusive, and its objective includes “…a balanced and fair plan that will put our

Quick answer to WHO? No doubt you have heard that Congress was granted “The Power of the Purse”.  Among other powers, the constitution says Congress has comprehensive fiscal powers:   ·      All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives ( Spending  is done by legislating.)   ·      Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts… ( Income )  

Successful people, organizations, and governments know that the first step in analyzing and solving a complex predicament is to articulate the Problem and the Objective accurately. PROBLEM The current status of U.S. federal fiscal affairs and the processes that abetted it are in dangerous disarray and require prompt and enduring reform. OBJECTIVE Analyze all relevant aspects of the U.S. federal deficits and growing debt, produce a balanced and fair plan that will put our coun

Comprehending the Severity Prelude I have little doubt that most Americans are struggling with the question “Just how serious is the federal debt – present and future – to me, my family, and my country?” It is easy to understand how the breadth and time horizons of this topic make it complex. The purpose of this and coming Substack articles is to present a balanced and factual discussion of the severity of the federal fiscal situation now and in the years ahead so readers wil

NY Harbor from Brooklyn Heights This Substack post was not on the schedule. It is being published today and will not interfere with the continuation of the federal debt series of about ten articles. Please spend eight minutes on this video by the WSJ. It does an amazing job of providing an overview of the federal fiscal crisis. Use the link below. https://www.wsj.com/video/series/news-explainers/when-does-the-national-debt-become-genuinely-bad/EDACA508-4D17-48F0-84C5-51B2ABD5

The Relentless Federal Debt Growth is Perilous Problem Statement The federal debt has grown dramatically since the Great Recession of 2008, reached harmful levels, requires a comprehensive and sustainable array of solutions, but still is not receiving serious attention from our government. Objective For the Congress and Executive Branch to elevate the creation and implementation of responsible and permanent fiscal policies to the highest priority. Definitions Federal Debt  is