When the Tea Party movement burst onto the political scene, we took to the streets because we knew America as we know it was under assault. Both political parties had abandoned any pretense of fiscal responsibility, and were simply dividing up our children’s future between them. And when We The People saw that nobody was looking out for the health of this great country and the economic system that has provided opportunity for countless generations of Americans, we demanded that our leaders take responsibility for their reckless waste and return to fiscal sanity. 

It’s been a long, hard-fought battle every step of the way, and the struggle is only just beginning. But today we at least have an alternative to business-as-usual. With the new Ryan Budget, conservatives have a roadmap to return our country to a sustainable footing, and to secure a prosperous future for the generations to come. But in order to take advantage of this historic opportunity, we must understand the issues, get past the minor quibbles that might divide us and rally behind this serious effort to restore American greatness. 

The best way to understand the Ryan Budget is to read the full proposal, which can be found in PDF format here. But if you don’t have time to read over 80 pages of dense political jargon, the graph above from the Wall Street Journal explains the difference between the Ryan plan and the current Democrat strategy. Under Obama and the Democrats, spending, taxation and debt would all continue to spiral out-of-control. Under the Ryan plan, taxation would never exceed 19% of GDP, spending would be cut by $5.3 trillion, the debt would go down, and Social Security and Medicare would be fully-funded without destructive cuts to national defense.

Just as importantly, Ryan’s budget will improve the safety net for the most vulnerable Americans by introducing more choice and competition to Medicare, and encourages more state-by-state flexibility in administering Social Security. The key is that the Ryan budget recognizes that prosperity comes from economic freedom, not government spending.

Though spending cuts are a huge part of the Ryan budget, reigning in the size of government and eliminating political handouts to Obama’s “Green Energy” cronies and wasteful farm subsidies, the proposal goes much farther. Equally important, the Ryan plan simplifies the tax system, replacing six tax brackets with two, and eliminating the loopholes that make a mockery of the current system. Eliminating the AMT, encouraging saving and investment by eliminating “double taxation” on capital gains and the corporate income tax, and encouraging investment in America with a Business Consumption Tax that favors American exports will all unlock America’s economic potential. Add to this the plan’s measures to improve and streamline job training programs, and it’s clear that this budget doesn’t just put an end to out-of-control government spending, but will spark a true recovery of the American economy.

As Rep. Ryan himself put in his Wall Street Journal editorial, “our budget draws a clear distinction between serious reformers and those who stand in the way of the growing bipartisan consensus for principled solutions.”

For all of us who have been worried for years that our deficit will destroy this country’s greatness, the way forward is clear. We must rally behind Rep. Ryan’s budget, demand that our leaders take action to pass it, and condemn those who stand in the way of the only real plan to return American to fiscal sanity. This is the great task of the grassroots conservative movement going forward, and one which I will devote my time, energy and resources towards. If we let this opportunity pass us by, another chance to fix this country may not come again. Because I refuse to watch this great nation descend into the kind of chaos we are seeing from bankrupt socialist countries like Greece, I am making my stand with Paul Ryan. I hope you’ll join me, and together we can save America and make our children and grandchildren proud.

Sincerely,

Dustin Stockton
Co-Founder
Western Representation PAC

PS – Please visit my blog to leave comments about this message.

The Credit Rating Agencies (Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s) have a negative outlook for the credit-worthiness of the United States. One (S&P’s) has downgraded the U.S.

The financial question for these credit rating agencies is: “Has the Congress taken CREDIBLE steps to reduce the national debt?”  Right now, the answer is: No.

Consequently, for the first time, the U.S. has lost its AAA rating.

This credit-worthiness assessment is not Democrat or Republican politics;  it is an economic reality.  The political question is this:  “Who is willing provide the political leadership to face this problem in the United States?”  You will have to answer that question for yourself.  As a nation, we need courage to face this question.

Market Watch writes on this issue here.

For more comprehensive content on this subject, click here for the Bloomberg article.

ABC published the article copied below. Click on the link or read it here:

S&P Drops US Credit Rating to AA+:  5 Easy-to-Understand Effects of a Downgrade. 
So it’s happened — right or wrong: a downgrade of Uncle Sam’s credit for the first time in history. For more on Standard & Poor’s downgrade on U.S. long term debt, click here.

As the world waits for the Tokyo market to open at 8 p.m. on Sunday night, lots of people will be wondering what this means for the real economy and stock market. Here’s a quick primer based on ABC News’ extensive reporting on the possibility of a downgrade – five easy to understand effects:

1. The interest rates the government pays to finance the growing national debt will almost certainly rise as a result of the downgrade. That increases the amount of money Uncle Sam has to spend each year on “debt service.” General market discussions have turned on an increase in rates that would up the annual tally by about $10 in the short-term and go up to $75 billion in additional costs in the coming years.

3. Needless to say, increasing costs for consumers and businesses tends to slow their economic activity. Some estimates put a downgrade like this as likely to shave 1 percent off GDP. This slowing certainly increases the risks that the U.S. will have a second dip into recession. It also means less tax revenue, so the potential for additional debt increases.

4. As the economy slows, expect the stock market to react. After all, investors buy shares to get a piece of growing profits. A slowing economy means profits grow less rapidly or go down. The relative value of a share of anything will go down. Some experts predict a downgrade could force stocks to sell-off by 6 percent to 10 percent in short order. That’s another 1,100 points on the Dow.

5. A slowdown in economic activity also means less demand for workers. The non-partisan group Third Way has published estimates that a simple 0.5 percent increase in interest rates could erase more than 640,000 jobs.