PENNY WISE - DEBT FACTS!

• Interest payments on America's National Debt now amount to 40% of the Federal Budget, crowding out education, environment, healthcare research, transportation and agriculture.
• The percentage of the publicly held portion of America's Debt that is now held by foreign countries/foreigners has increased to more than 50%, making our National Debt a serious national security concern.
• America's National Debt soaks up national savings and crowds out productive investment, making our future bleak.
• America's National Debt is a National Disaster!
• $$$$ NEWS: Over $7 BILLION in coins is out of circulation - sitting your penny jars, America!
• The US Mint produces $52.5 Million in coins a day to keep up with circulation demands. [What would be the benefit if we turned those idle penny jars?!!]
• 3/4 of all Americans store their spare change rather than spending it. (Almost 1/2 leave their pennies with the cashier as unwanted)
• Today's average American household's portion of the National Debt is $137,000.
• In 1998, President Clinton's letter on the Federal Budget remarked that "most heavily indebted countries spend more on debt service than on health or education." "This is wrong," he wrote. "Let us say today that no nation on this Earth should be force to choose between feeding and educating children or paying interest on excessive debt." Yet today, 14 years later, this is the very choice that America is facing, unless we the people choose to pay down the National Debt principal.
• We are rapidly drawing near to falling off the "fiscal cliff" (as pronounced by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke) when several fiscal events could happen simultaneously the close of 2012 /beginning of 2013: (1) Bush-era tax cuts will expire, (2) the first installment of the $1.2 trillion across the board cuts to domestic add defense programs required by bipartisan deficit reduction agreement will take effect and (3) Congress will have to face another increase in the debt ceiling, potentially triggering another federal budget standoff in Congress.
• The good news is: we have a choice and we are empowered now to target voluntary contributions to retire the National Debt! Take Prosperity Measures now through President Kennedy's law: Public Law 87-58 and pitch in to roll down the debt, America!.