To the President and Members of Congress

Dear Mr. President, Members of the United States Senate and Members of the United States House of Representatives,

We the people are weary. Urgent issues in our country demand your serious attention and practical resolution, and what do we get? Finger-pointing, name calling, stealing from Peter to pay Paul temporarily, and an occasional proposal or bill shifting the burden from one segment of American society to another. You are not doing your job well enough. It’s time to try something different.

For the sake of clarity and to get the ball rolling, let’s focus on one issue only, just for a moment: the national deficit. Against the advice of those who tell us that a recession is a bad time to try to cut a deficit, most of you seem to want to make deficit reduction a priority. So here is our question to you:

What is each of you, individually and personally, prepared to sacrifice in order to cut government costs and trim fat from the national budget?

How you answer this question will depend on your priorities, naturally. Would you choose to take a reduction in salary? Give up benefits? Reduce the air travel you enjoy at government expense? Perhaps you have other ideas for how you—for the moment, this is all about you—can come to the aid of your country. We are ready to hear from you. This is not about your party affiliation or your constituency. This is about you.

Please step up to the microphone one at a time to answer the question. Remember, the question is not what new sweeping measures you propose—it’s what you, as one individual, as a government employee working for the people of this country, are willing to sacrifice to reduce government spending.

The time has come for serious conversation in the United States of America. Let it begin with you.

Speak clearly, one at a time, please. We the people are ready to listen.