With our National Debt continuing to rise to nearly $14 TRILLION dollars, this Congress and Administration still haven’t seen the reality about to hit this nation. We ARE the largest debtor nation in the world and the divesting of American Debt by other nations should be sounding a resounding alarm, but hasn’t for this group in Washington.

Greece and Portugal are on the brink of financial collapse for one simple reason- their governments, in an effort to continue their massive entitlement programs, have reached the point where no one wants their debt instruments. Countries like Germany are going to either prop up their debt with loans or they face complete bankruptcy.

Great Britain is also facing the same possibility unless they too, get a handle on their deficits and resulting debt. Even the head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has warned repeatedly about the necessity to get control of the debt or face the same issues in Spain, Portugal, and Greece:

Speaking to the annual conference of the Institute of Directors about the need to deal with the record debt, he said: “If anyone doubts the dangers that face our country if we do not, they should look at what is happening today in Greece and in Portugal.”

Sooner or later, the inevitable will happen as long as this nation continues this spending spree. Our debt instruments, Bonds and Treasury Bills, will NO LONGER be wanted at the current interest rates they are being bid to yield. Eventually, our Bonds will also be downgraded simply because the creditor nations and individuals will DEMAND higher rates and unless was can pay that interest to service that debt, it collapses as well.

It is imperative that Congress ends the deficit spending, reforms ALL entitlements, and returns to the Constitutional powers that are specifically enumerated in that document. Once we look beyond our own financial issues and look at the history behind every 20th Century war, we can understand we are at a crossroads- we either sacrifice today and change the course we are headed upon, or face the fact that sooner or later, we could be in another major world wide conflict.

Not only is our debt a major national security issue, it is abject failure on the part of our elected officials to end this cycle of deficit spending that is NOT reviving our economy, but placing our nation into the abyss of failure yet to come.

As the Florida Legislature debates the future of Florida’s high speed rail development, often referred to as SunRail, one has to wonder why Rep. Corrine Brown is assuring the State of Florida that funding from the Federal government will be available. I have to ask, is this going to be another Amtrak in the making? or another Florida rail system, Tri-Rail in south Florida, currently being subsidized by taxpayers?

Last year, 2008, Amtrak routes running in Florida lost over $145 per passenger for the Silver Star, and the Auto Train, $69 per passenger. Both of these trains combined routes serve the Tampa-Orlando and the Orlando/Sanford-Miami corridors, yet both have constantly lost money. Ridership is at a near all-time low and dropping monthly.

Tri-Rail, the South Florida commuter rail service, is in need today of between $13 and $15 MILLION in subsidies just to keep running. Their ridership currently is around 13,000 per day and even at that level of ridership, has lost money since it’s inception. The Sunrail project is going to be another annual commitment for Florida taxpayers to fund.

What is at issue is the $2.6 billion in Federal Stimulus funding of the Sun Rail project for the Tampa to Orlando route for initial construction. In 2004, once Florida voters understood the real costs of building a high speed rail system, it was flatly rejected. With the Obama administration once again providing the funding with the Stimulus Bill, it seems that everyone is clamoring once again for another slice of that taxpayer funded pie. Again, no one seems to be asking the tough questions about the continual need to subsidize these rail services once built and operational. Because these systems are running on tracks currently owned by private railways, the funding is also going to subsidize their freight services with special tax considerations for those subsidies. CSX stands to gain millions in property acquisition and roadbed leasing costs alone.

It is these types of projects that are proving to do nothing but continue to add to the Federal Deficits each and every year and subsequently add to the already $12 Trillion in debt that is continually rising. It is a burden on taxpayers that will continue in perpetuity unless it is ended once and for all. Keep the profitable routes and end the rest. No amount of funding is going to change the fact that an Amtrak trip from Jacksonville to Washington, D.C. is going to take 14 hours and cost upwards of $120 one way. The drive by automobile is less time and for far less money and a 4 hour airline flight isn’t going to cost that much more either.

No doubt, these projects are going to be infused with further Federal funding through additional earmarks from Rep. Corrine Brown. Her latest press release already indicates her desire to fund this losing proposition and no doubt through the earmark process for future budget items brought before Congress.

Mike believes it is time to stop this fiscal irresponsibility  and call an end to Federal funding of the abject failure in the high speed rail model. The private railroads ended passenger service in the late 1950′s for a reason- they could no longer continue to break even or generate a single cent of profit on an annual basis. No amount of nostalgic appeal, “wishing” for a successful venture in rail transportation, or “built it and they will ride” mentality is going to change the facts- the taxpayers must subsidize these ventures just to keep them running.

You can help Mike bring about an end to this type of government waste and fiscal irresponsibility. Volunteer, tell others, and donate to his campaign today.

With the release of today’s jobs report, another 263,000 jobs were lost by Americans nationwide. The report does not mention the numbers who have given up on finding a job nor the number of workers who have opted for early retirement due to the bleak jobs outlook for the future.

Instead we get the same tired Democratic rhetoric about how fantastically wonderful this near trillion dollar “stimulus” spending and debt has worked. Michael “Mike” Yost, Conservative candidate for the 3rd Congressional District of Florida commented:

“The American workers aren’t interested in cheap words, they want JOBS! The inability of this Administration and the Democrat controlled Congress to understand that Depression era fiscal policy didn’t work then and won’t work now is astounding. The Great Depression didn’t end until a world war forced the U.S. factories to gear up for military production and to start hiring people. When people had money to spend from the JOBS created, the Depression ended.”

Yost went on to further add:

“With a weakening dollar, government debt approaching $12 Trillion, and more debt being piled on the American taxpayer, one doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that the problem is too much government. The next step in this entire economic mess is inflation and that will further weaken our ability to recover. Results of this Administration’s and Congressional policy are dismal and until they realize the necessity to cut the size and scope of government, our businesses and industries are going to continue the collapse they are experiencing.”

The current Representative, Corrine Brown, seems to think that the problem is in Tallahassee and that the “stimulus” funds haven’t been released. It is painfully obvious that Ms. Brown has no clue what happened to the funds and where they are being spent. Even more painfully obvious is that no amount of government spending and the resulting debt is going to make the economic situation any better for our small businesses and industries. They are being looked upon as nothing more than a source of revenue for government and their destruction is inevitable as profits continue to decline. No one can hire when your outgo is greater than your income and these are simple facts any 1st semester high school economics student could understand.

Support Mike Yost as he brings bold initiatives forward to bring about real tax reform and real government spending reductions that will revive our economy and bring American jobs back to anyone who wants one. Our people are desiring the Liberty to be self-sufficient and responsible for their own families and adding more government spending and the need for more in taxes is not going to solve our issues.

Support Mike in his efforts to bring the REAL change to Washington with accountability to “We the People” of the United States. It’s time to end the waste, corruption, and spending that has caused this crisis and bring real leadership to the 3rd Congressional District of Florida.