Currently when the budget is made, each branch starts off with the amount they received last year. Then, each branch asks for a raise to the amount that they perceive they “need”. Starting from zero each year would be a better approach because each branch would be required to justify the money they need. If this were the case, no one would be able to get greedy and continue to pad their pockets at taxpayers’ expense. Another issue is that the amount of money being brought in is not considered. Common sense might tell you to first compare how much money you are bringing in before deciding how much to spend. Since this is not considered, our national debt continues to rise. The longer we wait to do something, the more painful the consequences will be. It is better to start slowly making changes than to suddenly be in crisis and have to make drastic changes that hurt our