In today’s ever-perilous economic times, fortunes are spent every day, some for good cause, some for fun, and some a complete waste of money.  Take for example the Gang of 12 “Super Committee”. In theory, a solid idea. With Washington being more dysfunctional than ever before (is that even possible?) 6 Blues and 6 Reds hashing out a plan to get us out of the Grand Canyon of debt and deficit spending sounds like a good idea, right?  But wait, I know my memory is a tad weak, but didn’t we just undertake the very same process with the Bowles-Simpson Deficit Reduction Committee last November?  Hmmm – 3 Donkeys, 3 Elephants reaching consensus on how to get us out of debt and deficit spending?  Sound familar?  Now where could that confounded report be?  I picture it in the same secret giant warehouse where the Ark of the Lost Covenant was stored in Raiders of the Lost Ark.  I bet we could also find the Knights of Templar Treasure there, a few Roswell alien bodies, maybe the real Dead Sea Scrolls.

That’s the problem with Washington these days (OK, years, decades…). They just don’t get it.  What we should be doing  on a personal level as well as a national level is spending BELOW our means.  Take the Pittsburgh Pirates for example.  Our friends at Deadspin revealed the financial statements of the Pirates, perennial cellar dwellers, team of The Cobra, spending less then they brought in (mostly due to revenue sharing from the Yanks).  Imagine that?  Maybe the Pirates are not a winning team, but at least they are not in danger of defaulting on debt like the Dodgers and Mets.

Here’s the magic formula:  Tax Revenue minus Spending equals Deficit (or Surplus).  And here’s my idea:  Put the Democrats in charge of reducing spending.  Put the Republicans in charge of increasing revenue.  Make it a contest to see who can arrive at a bigger number.

Dick Cheney once said, “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.”  How can you argue with such logic?