A conservative principle often lost in our never-ending cultural conversation is that of a strong and accessible economy – the gateway to a sound and vibrant community. We ignore this at our own peril.
After all, is there a more pressing family value then an economy that allows people the freedom to choose if both parents work? Are there many things (or anything) more connected to the conservative viewpoint then free access to the kind of opportunity that also allows every individual to provide for their families and loved ones?
And so the question must be asked: Is a cultural comeback feasible before we get our nation’s fiscal house in order?
No way.
What lies ahead within a couple of years (if not sooner) is the fate that hammered Greece, Spain, Iceland, and Portugal and other debt-laden, even third-world nations of the past. Read the headlines; Google these countries: they are no longer masters of their destiny. Instead, they are essentially wards of someone else’s state.
Their economies are stagnant. Families live day to day in fear of what tomorrow will bring and what their creditors – the European Union and global banks – will demand. Do not think that it couldn’t happen here.
We need big ideas and even radical proposals to fast-track reform. One of the best ways to lead us to fiscal sanity and create long-term economic growth is enacting a Balanced Budget Amendment for the federal government.
This policy needs to become the rallying cry and dire demand of every family advocacy group and tea party chapter all across our country. It is the one policy they can all agree on – and the one policy with which they can change the destiny of America.
While we can debate the urgency of other pressing issues – immigration, same-sex marriage, global warming – progress on these social imperatives will be impossible until Americans take their country’s fiscal future back.
The BBA will throw an unbreakable lasso around the financial monster being fed by both “re-elect me” politicians and every “me-first” citizen – at the expense of families that will face skyrocketing mortgages, out-of-reach rates for credit, student loans and the kind of inflation not seen in 30 years.
The BBA attacks the higher debt weakening the dollar because foreign demand has no trust in the currency. This makes imported goods more expensive and drains money out of paychecks, leaving less for savings.
We saw this with Iceland’s Krona; it was literally crushed by Iceland’s debt, which impoverished millions overnight. Higher interest rates make home ownership impossible except for the wealthy. Higher inflation makes energy and food budgets take up larger chunks of monthly income. This fiscal insanity will take away families’ options and opportunities, hinder entrepreneurs and stagnate job growth.
If there is one clarion call that every family values group and tea party activist should agree upon and work towards passing is a Balanced Budget Amendment. The culture warriors can thank us later.
Chuck Warren is co-founder of Pass the Balanced Budget Amendment (Pass the BBA) and a Utah-based political consultant
