Government Shutdown: We All Lose

I explained (or tried to) all of this to my soon-to-be 11 year old son who simply didn't get it. Using his allowance, saving, and spending habits as a model, he didn't think he could do what the government does. He can't. And neither can the government.

Representative Ryan shot a missile downrange with his proposal -- slash $6.2 trillion over 10 years. Obama's response? A can of silly string.

I know that we cannot solve this problem by spending cuts alone. It's too late for that and we ignored the sane politician's years ago that warned this day was coming. Some tax increases are in order.

Hey, I know a great place to start. How about General Electric (GE), which made $5 billion in the United States and didn't pay a penny in taxes. Sign me up for that plan.

And we all know that "entitlements" are done. Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and other third rails must be ripped apart. They're insolvent and everyone seems to know it -- except the president.

Firing Line: While a government shutdown will rivet the mainstream media as they froth about who wins and who loses when/if the government shuts down, we on Main Street know the answer. We all lose.

And we will, of course, all be at work while the government shuts down.

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This commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet guest contributor program. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of TheStreet or its management.

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