The month of August offers an extended time for Members of Congress to hear directly from their constituents about issues affecting the community and the direction of our country. This August, I’ve had the opportunity to visit with businesses, civic groups, seniors, and local government officials to discuss their thoughts and concerns. Time and again, no matter the age or political affiliation, the out of control spending in Washington and continued unemployment are the most significant issues affecting the direction of Ohio’s economy and the nation.
On August 22nd, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that our government is adding over $ 4 billion dollars a day to the national debt. That breaks down to over $3 million a minute that our government is overspending. These numbers can be daunting. However, it is real money which every American will bear the burden of repaying. Currently, every man woman and child in the U.S. is responsible for repaying over $46,000 of the national debt. This continued spending, with no end in sight, is one of the reasons I voted against increasing the national debt limit earlier this month.
The national debt is more than just a budgetary issue. It is a problem which is causing concern in communities in Ohio’s Third District, and is threatening our economic recovery. Over the past three weeks, we’ve seen how financial markets swing sporadically, affecting 401K’s and retirement investments of our seniors. Additionally, unemployment in Ohio increased to 9.0 percent in July 2011 from a rate of 8.8 percent in June 2011.
The time has come to show that we are serious about controlling our government’s spending. We must take serious steps to stop reckless spending, and set our government on a path to a responsible and sustainable budget – just as American families do at home. This year I voted for a budget which is one of many starting points for a real conversation about the road ahead for reforming our nation’s finances and growing the economy. We can no longer continue to take the easy road and just trim our budget at the corners. We must take real steps to find efficiencies in overall spending in order to end the trillion dollar deficits of the past, lower tax rates to encourage job creation, and reform our entitlement programs while still preserving them for future generations.
I look forward to continuing to meet with my neighbors and citizens of the Third Congressional District throughout the month of August. I value the opportunity to hear directly from you about how we can rein in spending in Washington, and get members of our communities back to work. If I can ever be of help or assistance, or if you have thoughts you’d like to share, please do not hesitate to call my offices in Washington, D.C. at (202) 225-6465, Dayton at (937) 225-2843, Wilmington at (937) 383-8931, or visit my website at Turner.House.Gov where you can send me an email.