I HAD A DREAM
Many, many years ago I awoke to discover that I had come into possession of a magical printing press capable of churning out dollar bills at an incredible rate. My first thoughts were of all the things I could buy with that money - a big house, a big car. I could travel the world! I soon realized how selfish that would be and decided to use this remarkable gift for a higher purpose. I decided to pay off the national debt.
I set to work immediately, firing up the press and printing dollar bills for the next 24 hours. I was amazed to find my magical press could print 1,175 bills per second, totaling $101,520,000 in a single day! To my surprise, the huge pile of bills occupied 4,050 cubic feet, the exact capacity of a 53’ tractor trailer.
I made arrangements with a trucking firm to have a trailer waiting in my driveway every morning. I loaded the first trailer and sent it on its way to Washington to begin paying down the national debt. I could barely contain my excitement as a truck set out each day for Washington, packed with dollar bills.
My magical press performed flawlessly, printing dollar bills 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, month after month, year after year. As the years rolled by I noticed that I grew older but my health never faltered. I became convinced the magic of the press was somehow keeping me alive until the task was done.
The day finally came when it was time to load the last truck for the last trip to Washington. I looked at the calendar – it was August 12, 2444. It had taken nearly 432 years to complete my task! I watched the truck leave with mixed emotions. It had been an arduous task, unrelenting in the demands it had placed upon me, but I felt it had all been worthwhile.
As I drifted off to sleep that night, content with my achievement, I thought how wise Congress had been to balance the budget and freeze the debt back in 2013. I couldn’t begin to imagine how long it would have taken if new debt had been piled on and interest had continued to accrue. In my dream I saw the 11.5 million tractor trailers I had hired, parked nose to end, stretching from Los Angeles to Washington. Their horns blasted in celebration, proclaiming throughout the land that America was debt free!
I abruptly sat up in bed. The jubilant horns of celebration were just my alarm clock announcing the start of another day. While I had been asleep the national debt had increased more than $500 Million Dollars. I felt a tear run down my cheek. It had all been just a dream.
Mike McKeon
Jacksonville, FL