PAUL RYAN

Q: You seem like a pretty bright guy. What do you think about this? Some of my friends are critical of Paul Ryan because of his budget proposal that he put out a few years back. They say that he would take away a lot of benefits that the government gives us. I have heard others say it is better to do something.

Is his plan something I should vote for?

A:  Thanks for the compliment. My ex would not agree with you about me being such a bright guy.

Before I respond, I have a couple of comments about your question. First of all, when you vote for president there is really only so much they can do without the backing of Congress. Secondly, Paul Ryan is the vice presidential candidate. Romney will be the prime idea guy so voting for Romney/Ryan is not a vote for Paul Ryan's budget proposal.

I also have to make a comment about your friends statement that "he would take away a lot of benefits that the government gives us." You must realize that if the government gives us a benefit that cost money, they must either take money from others or print more money that puts us further in debt.

Now, finally to respond to your question - We have to go back to early 2011 when Paul Ryan was Chairman of the House Budget Committee. In the opinion of many economists, unlike the typical Congressional budget resolution, the Ryan plan was not only comprehensive in its scope, but it was presented in a refreshingly transparent manner.

Every proposal in this nearly 75-page document—from discretionary spending and Medicaid, to taxes and welfare spending—was explained and justified in a way that any taxpayer could understand.

The press and critics zeroed in on Ryan's bold proposals for reforming entitlements, such as Medicaid and Medicare. Unfortunately, serious attention was not given to the tax side of the plan. Making the tax system conducive to long-term economic growth is just as critical to solving the nation's fiscal crisis as is reining in uncontrolled spending.

I could go on and on about the plan, but let me say this - At least it was a starting point. In my opinion, at least he and his committee had the guts to start the process.