Sample Letter to the Editor
Use the following as a guide when writing to the editor of a publication:
To the Editor:
It's time to reframe the parameters of our nation's fiscal debate.When introducing new policy proposals, candidates for federal office have learned to anticipate the inevitable question: "How do you plan to pay for it?" But oftentimes, after being provided with some basic explanation, the reporters chasing after the candidates don't have the information at hand to take the exchange to the next level.
More recently, as the economy has worsened, the quality of the discussion between candidates and the press over economic policy has improved somewhat. The media now weighs candidates' plans in terms of whether they will increase or ease the pressure on us and on our government.
The nonpartisan Peter G. Peterson Foundation, however, says that this level of discourse still falls short. Given our current and projected financial condition, the nation's fiscal debate must be entirely reframed. It is no longer enough for a candidate to simply offer a proposal and discuss how he or she plans to pay for it.
The official national debt is approaching $11 trillion. But what the Foundation calls the real national debt, including current explicit liabilities and unfunded promises for entitlement programs, is $56,400,000,000,000. That's $184,000 for each and every one of us. Social Security and Medicare alone account for $41 trillion of this staggering total and, thanks to compounding, their share grows by $2 trillion to $3 trillion per year on autopilot. Rising health care costs are outpacing overall economic and income growth and, absent dramatic and fundamental reforms, eventually could bankrupt the country. Based on our current entitlement and other spending, taxes would have to more than double over the next few decades in order for the government to pay its bills and deliver on its promises.
Given these conditions, please start asking candidates for public office the following questions:
Q. Do you believe that the nation will be able to grow its way out of the economic challenges it faces, without requiring additional spending cuts or tax increases beyond those you're already proposing? If not, what is your proposed approach for addressing the federal government's $56,400,000,000,000 financial hole?
Q. Has the time come for a base-line review of all major spending programs and tax preferences, and if not, why not?
Q. Would you support the creation of an independent, bipartisan commission to review the nation's fiscal future and make recommendations to your administration and the next Congress about a range of reforms (e.g., budget controls, Social Security, health care, taxes)?
By asking these questions, maybe we can finally start getting to the root of the country's long-term economic challenges.
Sincerely yours,
Your Name
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