When you analyse what the aim of the supercommittee was, it is understandable that they were always doomed to fail.

Why?

Very simply? No-one is serious enough about what America needs (wake up Mr. Taxpayer!!!).

The numbers speak for themselves.

Next years budget $3.5 trillion

Over the next ten years$35 trillion (based on todays numbers)

Shortfall next year$1.5 trillion

Shortfall over next ten years$15 trillion (based on todays numbers)

Supercommittee was charged with finding a grand total of $1.2 trillion (cuts and/or new monies) OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS i.e. A grand total of $120 billion/year.

Assuming the committee did their job and reached their target:

Next years budget would be $3.38 trillion

Over the next ten years$33.8 trillion (based on todays numbers)

Shortfall next year$1.38 trillion

Shortfall over next ten years$13.8 trillion (based on todays numbers)

Now lets break this down into something that average Joe/Jane can understand.

Average Joe/Jane spending $35,000.00

Over the next ten years$350,000.00

Yearly Take home pay$20,000.00

Yearly shortfall $15,000.00

Ten year shortfall $150,000.00

Joe/Jane need the following - find either $15,000.00 /year, cut their budget by same amount or a combination of both.

The best they can come up with is to find/cut their budget by $12,000.00 OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS i.e. $1,200.00/year.

So, Joe/Jane either have no initiative or do not see their problem as serious and so they don't bother to do anything about it and go about their life as if everthing is o.k. (collect food stamps, social security or any other government subsidy that will tide them over.)

And so it goes on.....

UNTIL IT CAN'T!

When will that be?

When the food stamps run out and/or social security is not available etc.

Who/What decides that?

When the government either runs out of money or the taxpayers have no more to give.

Bottom Line?

As in any market place, it is always the buyer who controls - i.e. The one with the money (Mr. Taxpayer).

Good Luck to all!