News
January 9, 2012
America's $15-trillion public debt can only be addressed via an immediate, bipartisan and comprehensive response, former United States Comptroller General David Walker said to a packed Filene Auditorium on Monday.
Walker, a registered independent who served as Comptroller General from 1998 to 2008, described the past 11 years as "the most irresponsible in the history of the United States."
In order to solve the debt problem, the government must re-impose budget controls, reduce defense and social welfare spending, raise revenues and fix a broken political system, Walker said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
"It is critically important that people be informed and involved to ensure that our elected officials start making the tough choices necessary to put our finances in order before we face a debt crisis," Walker said.
Introducing open primaries and empowering non-partisan commissions, rather than elected officials, to deal with redistricting, could help address the public debt and political faults, Walker said.