FISCAL REALITIES

The sharp edge of policy debate over the federal budget has dulled in the weeks since politicking became more important than finding a way to make the nation's government solvent. Gone are the face-to-face meetings between congressional leaders and the president at the White House. Gone are the temporary shutdowns, real or imagined. Gone are the daily updates on how to reach a balanced budget in just seven years.

But something very real has stayed put, even with little or no attention: The country is going broke at an unbelievably fast pace -- even faster than was suspected just a few months ago, based on more recent projections regarding the enormous Medicare system.

Just because the federal budget is no longer the top news story every day doesn't mean the problems are any less real. That point was brought home by Missouri's former U.S. senator, John Danforth. When he spoke recently in Cape Girardeau as part of Southeast Missouri State University's Public Issues Forum series, Danforth made it clear that he is concerned about the lack of attention to fiscal matters. And he said every American ought to be just as concerned.

In a sobering review, Danforth laid out the grim facts. Much of his presentation was based on knowledge acquired while he and Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska headed a bipartisan commission that examined how entitlements -- federal programs that most federal legislators and far too many Americans regard as sacred -- are gobbling up all the tax revenue that goes to Washington.

The bottom line is that shortly after the turn of the century, entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, plus interest on the national debt, will use up every dollar collected by the IRS. Not nearly every dollar. Not most of the dollars. Every single dollar.

And, Danforth said, it doesn't make a bit of difference how Congress decides to tinker with other federal spending. Even if all spending on the military, congressional salaries or highways were eliminated -- totally -- the nation's government will spend every available dollar on entitlements and interest on the debt.

That is because entitlements and the debt are growing without any reins to slow them down. So it doesn't matter if you cut a few billion dollars here and a few billion dollars there in other programs. Entitlements and the national debt won't leave anything to spend on any other programs.

Danforth made it clear how serious the situation is. He also observed that even the Danforth-Kerrey commission was afraid to discuss solutions for fear of political reprisals. Those same fears have been evident during recent haggling between GOP congressional leaders and President Clinton.

So what can be done? Danforth's suggestion is simple: Start with you. As he put it, if everyone in Southeast Missouri who is concerned about federal spending would force this year's political candidates to address these fiscal issues and present viable alternatives to a nation that is financially broken, the budget would finally get the attention it deserves.

But candidates on their own aren't likely to bring up these issues, because they are complex and can create voter backlash. It is the voters who must insist that the federal budget is the top priority of every candidate in every public appearance and at every campaign speech.

With or without this sort of pressure and attention, one simple fact remains: The country will run out of money for anything other than entitlements or interest on the debt by 2002 or sooner.