Gilbert Gutknecht: “I represent an awful lot of farmers, and some of the greatest wisdom I have ever heard has come from some of my farm…”

“I represent an awful lot of farmers, and some of the greatest wisdom I have ever heard has come from some of my farm families. Back in farm country they know one of the great parts of the American dream is to pay off the mortgage and leave our kids the farm. But what we have been doing here in this government for the past 40 years is, in effect, we have been selling off the farm and leaving our kids the mortgage. We all know deep down in our bones that there is something morally wrong with that. An old farmer told me a couple of years ago, and perhaps the best way I have ever heard it put, he said the problem is not that we are not sending enough money into Washington. He said the problem is that Congress spends it faster than we can send it in, and that has really been true. And every time we have raised taxes the deficit has actually gone up. Balancing the budget, saving Medicare and allowing families to keep more of what they earn is not just some accounting exercise. Balancing the budget is about preserving the American dream for our kids. Saving Medicare is about keeping our commitment to our parents.”