In college physics classes, I learned about the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy.  Income minus outgo equals retention.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  Water, altitude, BTU’s, pixie sticks, you name it.  It’s always the same equation.

It works with money too.

This nation’s economic woes are mainly due to one thing: taxes.  We all want something for nothing.  It’s human nature.  And so many times over the decades, our politicians have promised this.  No new taxes.  But yes, new programs, new wars, and new policies.  To every such politician, I want to ask, “Have you taken college physics?”

“Cut government waste!” you say.  Yeah, that’s where the money will come from.  Then why is our national deficit so high?  Why do we even have a deficit?  Obviously we either don’t have that much waste, or we’re not cutting it as we should be.  Obviously we’ve been spending more than we’ve been taking in.

If we’re going to start some new program or fight a war or write some new regulation, then taxes MUST rise in proportion.  That’s the only long-term fiscally sustainable proposition.  Period.  But here we have Democrats fighting harder than ever for new programs.  And Republicans fighting just as hard to reduce taxes, or at least keep them where they are.

The two don’t mix.

But America doesn’t want to hear that.

Dear Left-leaning politician: When you promise to do something that increases the government’s footprint without increasing taxes, you’re part of the problem.

Dear Right-leaning politician: When you offer tax cuts without cutting the government’s footprint, you’re part of the problem.

Dear fellow citizen: When you ask the government to give you something new, but you protest when your taxes go up, you’re part of the problem too.