Like the United States government, most United States citizens had squandered their money. Personal saving was at an all-time low in 2006 and 2007, partly because Americans had become the consummate consumers and partly because most American families had trouble just making ends meet in times of high retail prices on everything from cars to candy bars.
Following the events of January 17, 2008, economic conditions in the United States worsened. In areas affected by the horrendous earthquake and hurricanes, economic conditions were dismal. Still, the population managed to carry on, thanks in part to the lack of any federal management abilities. People became dependent on their local governments, their relatives and neighbors, instead of the gargantuan federal government. Even municipalities and state governments no had to manage on their own without 'aid' or assistance from Washington, DC - since Washington, DC barely even existed anymore.
Outraged United Taxpayers Revolting Against Government Excess (O.U.T.R.A.G.E.) had made a big difference in how the U.S.A. operated - and how the U.S.A. would operate in the future. 'Big' government - something both political parties claimed to oppose with feigned sincerity - was now impossible, since most government bureaucrats had been killed in the January 17th bombings.
The process of sending your money to Washington in hopes that Washington would send some back to you was moot. From now on, local municipalities would retain local monies, and - if managed correctly - there would be funding for community needs without the interference of, or financial assistance from, the federal government. The new federal government would only be responsible for those things as mandated in the U.S. Constitution - nothing else. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. objective was to cut the federal government's budget and operations by 90%. While some people believed that to be unrealistic, many more favored such a lofty goal, realizing that the government had far overstepped its bounds decades ago.
The Bush adminsitration, thanks in large part to its ineffectual and insipid 'war' with Iraq, had put American taxpayers trillions of dollars in debt. It would take generations to pay off that debt, if it ever could be paid off. And, as could be usually anticipated, even if that debt was paid off citizens would never see any relief from high taxes as long as corrupt, incompetent, arrogant, lazy politicians were in office to fight for their pet 'pork'.
The concept of a government even smaller than that formed in the mid-1700's was unimagined by many citizens who had become used to the 'feds' controlling their lives. The reorganization of such a small federal entity was foreign to most, and seemed impossible to others. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. was intent on putting fiscal responsibility and legislative accountability back into the hands of the people and their local communities. To be sure, there would be national laws by which each state would be required to abide; but, those laws would be targeted only to protect and serve the American public - not to protect or serve the interests of big business, special interest groups, or political parties.
The workload was exhaustive as O.U.T.R.A.G.E. committees and groups labored to restructure, reform, and regroup in time for the newly-elected Congress and administration that would take place on November 4, 2008.
The election was less than three weeks away....