Troy Pyles St. George, Utah

August 12, 2026 - 9:01 pm

Election season is upon us. Candidates will be telling us how much money they plan to grab to bring us bacon back home and how much new free stuff we will get from them. Meanwhile our national debt is $40 trillion and just paying the interest on that costs us $3.2 billion per day. Also, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are in financial trouble.

Before you vote, there are questions you should ask of each candidate. Start with: Do you believe in a balanced budget? And: What is your plan to reduce the annual budget deficits? Then there’s: What is your plan to reduce the national debt? And: What is your plan to save Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from being cut? Finally: According to the IRS, only 51 percent of people with an income pay any federal income tax. Do you think that is fair?

Unfortunately, it is traditional for our elected officials to ignore our huge financial problems and just kick the can down the road. Only you as a voter can stop that.