Golnik will push fiscal responsibility
Published in The Lowell Sun
07/09/2010

Washington politicians are on a spending spree. U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas deserves a large portion of the blame for Washington's reckless borrowing and spending policies. Why? Because Rep. Tsongas sits on the House Committee on the Budget -- the committee charged with overseeing federal finances.

This year the Democrats in Congress have conceded that they won't be passing a budget resolution until after the November election. Under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, a resolution is required by May 15. Congress is choosing to disregard its own law.

Why won't the Democrats produce a budget? One reason is that a budget resolution requires five-year projections for federal spending and revenues. Those numbers won't be pretty in part because of the health-care entitlement program that Rep. Tsongas and her colleagues voted for in February.

Another reason is that a budget resolution would slow spending for special projects and favored interests. With a resolution, new spending requires 60 votes in the Senate versus 51 without.

The failure of Rep. Tsongas and the Budget Committee to produce a budget means that Washington politicians can continue their spending spree unchecked.

Jon Golnik knows this is wrong. He's a small businessman from the Lowell area running for Congress.

He understands that the first step towards fixing your finances is to establish a budget. That's the way it works in a business. That's the way it works in your household.

And that's the way it should work in the United States House of Representatives as well.

What can you do? Do your research. Get involved. Check out jongolnik.com or give Jon a call at 978-589-5166.

America stands at a fiscal precipice. We may soon learn the lesson that the Greeks are learning today -- that uncontrolled government borrowing and spending has a high price. They are rioting in Athens. Let's avoid that Greek tragedy.

JAMES BOHN
Carlisle

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