From: Scott Rogers, Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force
To: Rep. Perry, L.,
Subject: Article V Balanced Budget Amendment Applications On the Move in Michigan and Oklahoma!
Date: 2014-01-27T14:42:13Z
Body:
Franz welcomes national debt expert's testimony at Michigan House committee hearing

State Rep. Ray Franz today welcomed William Fruth, president of POLICOM Corporation, to provide testimony on the desperate need for Congress to balance the federal budget.

 

Franz' House Joint Resolution CC adds Michigan to the list of states calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring the federal government to operate with an annually balanced budget.

 

"Congress has been overspending our nation's budget for over three decades, and there's no end in sight," said Franz, R-Onekama. "It's unrealistic and unfathomable for personal and business finances, as well as for local and state government levels, and it is unsustainable and unacceptable if our country is to have any kind of future for our children and grandchildren."

 

At about $17 trillion, the United States' debt load puts it on a list of 12 out of 182 nations with debt greater than the size of their economy. The debt is primarily owed to private and public investors, foreign investing entities, as well as internal federal government trust funds, such as the Social Security Trust Fund, Civil Service Retirement, and Military Retirement & Medical Medicare.

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Fruth, economic development consultant with the Balance Budget Amendment Task Force in Virginia, likened America's direction to "going over Niagara Falls."

 

"It hasn't mattered what party is in Congress, they have continued to borrow money to run the nation, and it is breaking the back of our country," Fruth said. "At every other level, we're compelled to say 'no, there just isn't any money,' but in Washington, D.C., it's been too easy to say 'yes.'

 

"There are several choices we have: we can do nothing, and just hope our nation, our political system and our freedom don't collapse under soaring inflation and increased taxation; we can elect people to office who will stop the borrowing and spending cycle, but we've seen how that's worked the last 30 years; we can riot in the streets, as we've seen citizens do in other countries, but that's not good; or we can make it unlawful through a Balanced Budget Amendment for Congress to borrow and spend money it has no ability to repay."

 

Along with testimony from Franz, Fruth and Sen. Mike Green, who sponsored a Senate version of the Balanced Budget Amendment joint resolution, the House panel heard comments in favor of the measure from Charlie Owens, Michigan director of the National Federation of Independent Business. The committee received 'opposed' messages from the Michigan League for Public Policy, AFL-CIO and UAW.

 

The House Financial Liability Reform Committee is considering HJR CC and SJR V.

From left: Bill Fruth of the Balance Budget Amendment Task Force, Charlie Owens, Michigan director of the National Federation of Independent Business, and state Rep. Ray Franz at the House Financial Liability Reform Committee meeting.
OK Lawmaker wants to see constitutional amendment for a balanced federal budget
MIDWEST CITY - An Oklahoma lawmaker wants to see a constitutional amendment to keep a balanced federal budget, Oklahoma State Representative Gary Banz (R- Midwest City) hosted a public meeting to discuss the subject Sunday.  Members of the community who attended the meeting are a small part of a nationwide conversation about the federal budget.


"At the end of the day, it's our tax dollars and they're being frivolous about how they manage it," said Louis Marin, CEO o f "I Am American," a non-partisan organization behind the movement.

Many who attended Sunday's meeting want to see the Balanced Budget Amendment become the 28th Amendment of the US Constitution. 

"Ultimately the end game for us is to be one of the 34 states that has made application to congress to call a convention of our states under our constitution," said Rep. Banz. 

 

Rep. Banz says after the government shutdown-- it's time for states to step in. 

"The bottom line is that we all lose," said Rep. Banz. 

Marin says maintaining a balanced federal budget is not a Republican or Democratic issue, but an American issue. 

"People on the left, they want to save their entitlements," he explained, "people on the right, they're tired of bailouts."  

Marin says so far at least 18 states passed resolutions to hold a constitutional convention for a balanced budget amendment, including all of the states that surround Oklahoma. 

"Thomas Jefferson once said, there's two ways to take down a nation, one-- by the sword, which is war, and the other one, by debt," said Marin, "and we have to do something now because if we don't we're in trouble." 

Banz says it's important that Oklahoma is part of this discussion.

"It's all about the conversation," said Rep. Banz. 

It will be some time before any one drafts the amendment's language, but Marin says it's important to put a stop to out of control spending. 

"We're definitely in dire straights right now, people don't realize this, we anticipate 5-7 years we're going to bankrupt our nation," said Marin.


Marin says 16 other states must pass resolutions for a constitutional convention to take place.

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Franz welcomes national debt expert's testimony at Michigan House committee
OK Lawmaker wants to see constitutional amendment for a balanced budget
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We Demand a Balanced Budget

 

Citizens Against Government Waste

 

Families for America

 

National Tax-Limitation Committee

 

I Am American

 

The Jeffersonian Project

 

The Reagan Project

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Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force | P.O Box 1261 | Leesburg | VA | 20177