SC Legislature can help fix DC mess

Our federal government is in deep trouble, drowning in debt and suffocated by corruption. The abuses threatening us are not merely bad policy; they are foundational issues that cannot be fixed by one person, party or election. Unless some outside force intervenes, Washington will continue on a path to bankrupt the nation and destroy everyone’s personal liberty.

The $20 trillion national debt is staggering, but just part of the story. Under standard accounting methods, the federal government owes around $100 trillion in vested Social Security and other obligations. We cannot tax ourselves out of debt, even if government confiscated everything of value in the nation.

Corruption in D.C. has overtaken the constitutional system of checks and balances. Lobbyists have too much sway, and bureaucrats make decisions on federal spending without congressional oversight or authorization. Congress uses federal grants to keep the states under its control. Corruption among our representatives is too common.

This is not a partisan issue. Washington will never fix itself. The solution is in Article V of the Constitution: A convention of the states is the only way to impose term limits and a balanced budget requirement on Congress, our only chance to restore good government. A bill before the Legislature endorses such a convention. Please ask your legislators to vote for it.

This story was originally published November 26, 2017 at 5:21 PM with the headline "SC Legislature can help fix DC mess."