LETTER: Common sense on the national debt

Kent Davidson Las Vegas August 23, 2026 - 9:00 pm LAS VEGAS — Kent Davidson, a Las Vegas resident, warned Wednesday that the United States’ national debt has swollen to $40 trillion and called on voters to demand fiscal discipline from elected officials. He argued that lawmakers must cease promoting new spending initiatives and instead concentrate on balancing the budget. According to Davidson, achieving balance will require trimming Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, raising taxes across the board, and improving conditions to stimulate economic growth. He acknowledged that such steps are unpopular and that nobody enjoys paying more or receiving less, but compared the situation to a household overwhelmed by debt that must curb spending and increase income. “It is painful and takes a long time,” he wrote, “but we can no longer afford to buy that brand‑new SUV.” Davidson concluded by urging an end to what he described as insane spending by clueless politicians and a return to common sense, which he lamented is no longer common.