In general, I agree with Representative Cooper’s analysis of the problems facing the United States. Our real national debt, including unfunded liabilities, is much higher than $15 trillion. Cooper rightly suggests that the major entitlement programs cannot be sacrosanct if we are to address our pressing financial challenges and that the employer health-care deduction and the home-mortgage deduction, if rescinded, would raise a good deal of money. However, when he turns to the analyses of what went wrong and how to get Congress to work productively, I am less convinced.
(photo credit: Jonathan D. Colman)
