Ackerson Pledges Fiscal Responsibility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 20, 2008
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. - Nels Ackerson, Democratic candidate for Congress in Indiana’s 4th District, today pledged to adopt pay-as-you-go spending limits and a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget.
Ackerson is a fiscal conservative. His proposals are part of the “Ackerson Pledge for Fiscal Responsibility and Government Accountability.” Nels has publicly committed to taking action on four initiatives when he becomes Congressman:
- Require Pay-As-You-Go spending
- Fight wasteful earmarks, sole source contracts to political cronies, unjustified subsidies.
- Apply effective regulations to prevent taxpayer bailouts of huge companies
- Support a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget
Appearing in Indianapolis and Lafayette, Ackerson said, “Congress has failed us by borrowing recklessly and spending beyond its means. The people we’ve sent to Washington are bankrupting our country. They are not being honest about the size of the loans they’re imposing on future generations. This reckless borrowing and spending is endangering critical funding obligations like Social Security and Veterans Healthcare. I want to change that immediately.”
“Congress has borrowed so much money that every baby born in America today inherits over $31,000,” Ackerson noted. “That’s $125,000 of national debt owed by every family of four. This borrow and spend approach is a cruel form of taxation without representation for our children and grandchildren. Even worse, we’re now borrowing from foreign rulers in China, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, hurting our independence and security.”
“It is time for us to change our government, to change the ‘borrow and spend’ mentality. It is time to establish new and better policies that ensure a better economy. And that is what I pledge to work for when I am elected to Congress.”
Ackerson was joined in Indianapolis by former United States Congressman Andy Jacobs, Jr., who proposed the first balanced budget constitutional amendment in Congress more than 30 years ago.
“Nels’ pledge is a solemn commitment to do what he says he will do,” Jacobs said. “That’s a courageous act and a refreshing change from politics as usual in Washington. It’s called accountability. He will be accountable to the voters and to his conscience.” Observed Jacobs, “Nels will be a great congressman for Indiana.”
Today’s pledge is the second in a series of pledges that Nels Ackerson will announce. The first pledge included four ways in which Ackerson pledges to support Veterans Rights.
