By James R. Lint
Faculty Member, School of Business, American Military University
Note: This article is the first in a series.
The national debt keeps growing as time passes. According to the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. “Total Public Debt Outstanding” was over $19 trillion as of September 26, 2016.
The United States Census Bureau says that as of September 28, 2016, we have a population of over 324 million people. If you divide the exact amount of the U.S. total outstanding public debt by the exact number of people who live in the U.S., each person would need to pay $60,167 to eliminate our national debt. However, this calculation does not take into account those segments of the U.S. population who are too young to work, making the $60,167 price tag very inaccurate.
In the past, Americans invested in U.S. Treasury bonds and held our national debt. Now, China is the largest holder of our debt, which some people see as a national security issue. China could sell the debt or call it, impacting the U.S.’s credit rating and future.
The U.S. national debt is at a record high. We must focus on methods that will make the U.S. stronger and not weak from debt.
To cut costs, we can increase efficiency in the federal government. There are two ways to encourage our government to operate more efficiently and reduce operational costs.
One idea would be to create a program that offers a bounty to U.S. citizens, including people who are employees of the federal government. For instance, one percent of the savings generated by a citizen’s concept for improved efficiency could be given to that person.
Encourage States to Adopt A Policy of ‘Workfare’
Another idea would be to encourage U.S. citizens to work in order to earn their welfare money. This policy, while potentially controversial, could be a useful way of lowering the national debt and cleaning up communities.
This type of work program succeeded in the past. In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a public work relief program for unemployed people that operated until 1942 as part of the New Deal. This program helped both the unemployed and the U.S. economy.
The program improved workers’ employment skills while providing them with shelter, clothing, food and a small wage. The legacy organization of CCC states that “enrollees planted nearly 3 billion trees to help reforest America, constructed trails, lodges and related facilities in more than 800 parks nationwide and upgraded most state parks, updated forest firefighting methods, and built a network of service buildings and public roadways in remote areas.” The need for welfare and CCC ended with the draft in World War II.
Currently, cities and states hire contractors for simple cleaning jobs and many unskilled jobs. Why not place non-disabled people who are able-bodied on workfare? The operating costs of cities and states would be reduced and cities would be cleaner through graffiti and trash removal. There are hundreds of jobs available that welfare recipients could perform to improve city and state governments.
Steady Work Leads to Desire for Self-Improvement
Working a low-end job encourages people to climb the ladder for a better job. Having a job gives workers pride and improves their ability to show an employer that they can be at work on time and follow directions. Steady employment would be a useful addition to workers’ resumes.
While the amount of work could be 20-30 hours a week, employers could train their workers in new skills. Training programs can grow skills for the current needs of the job market.
This type of program can help people climb out of the need for fiscal assistance or welfare. Additionally, they will gain pride in their skills and become community leaders who can show others that they can climb out of bad times and be self-sufficient.
Other Measures Needed to Reduce National Debt
There have been previous efforts to reduce American dependence on welfare. In 1996, for example, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) into law, fulfilling his 1992 campaign promise to “end welfare as we have come to know it.” This act was an attempt to move people receiving public assistance from welfare to work.
PRWORA also instituted a grant called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in 1996 and TANF was reauthorized in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. With TANF, states receive grant money for programs to help needy families become more self-sufficient.
The time limits for staying on TANF vary by state, with a federal limit of five years. But since the enactment of TANF, the federal government has removed few recipients for reaching the five-year limit. As a result, government expenses have increased and the government’s ability to help people have been adversely impacted.
However, people lose workplace skills during this five-year period as technology develops. But by implementing a policy of “workfare,” more people could be usefully employed. Ultimately, the goal should be to move workers from financial assistance to becoming taxpayers.
Next President Must Work with Both Political Parties to Improve the Economy
Both political parties have seen a need to refocus welfare due to its high cost to the U.S. government. To reduce the dependence on welfare, more people need to be trained in new and marketable skills.
Whoever is elected as the next president, he or she will need to work with Congress to make further welfare reforms to decrease the national debt, improve efficiency and resolve the U.S. economy’s problems.
About the Author
James R. Lint recently retired as the (GG-15) civilian director for intelligence and security, G2, U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command. He is an adjunct professor at AMU. Additionally, James started the Lint Center for National Security Studies, a nonprofit charity that recently awarded their 43rd scholarship for national security students and professionals. He has 38 years of experience in military intelligence within the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, contractor and civil service.
James was also elected as the 2015 national vice president for the Military Intelligence Corps Association. In 2016 he was accepted as a member of the Military Writers Guild. He has served in the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis and at the Department of Energy’s S&S Security Office. James had an active military career in the Marine Corps for seven years and also served 14 years in the Army. His military assignments include South Korea, Germany and Cuba in addition to numerous CONUS locations. James has authored a book published in 2013, “Leadership and Management Lessons Learned,” and a new book in 2016 “8 Eyes on Korea, A Travel Perspective of Seoul, Korea.”
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