Mr. President, I write this article to implore you to reconsider the direction your administration has embarked in attempting to try and reverse the economic downturn the nation and world now face. Time is running out before you leave office in January and things don't look too good.

I could rattle off all kinds of statistics and economic theory, but after reflecting for a week or so, I think it's best to keep it simple.

It seems Mr. President, the government is throwing money everywhere. I can even understand trying to keep banks from failing, but too much of anything can be bad. Pressuring banks to lend to one another is needed, but forcing more credit onto consumers already in debt is unwarranted.

This country and its citizen's are in debt. Unfortunately, in many cases serious debt. So we have a catch 22 here. We need to pay down our debts, but this would accelerate the recession we now experience. However, money being used to pay-off bills would not be spent on goods and services, and thereby support the economy. If the inverse occurs, and banks start refinancing debt to lower interests rates just so people can carry more debt, we then make the problem even worse in the long run. Remember, trading short-term gain and for long-term pain?

Mr. President, please seek a path that will move towards the reduction in debt of not only the country, but its people as well.

Do you really want people to go further into debt???? It's a violent cycle Mr. President, and it only gets worse, not better. I agree, you must force banks to lend. But make the banks refinance all forms of consumer debt to lower the interest costs of consumers, and thus free up income. I don't agree that the resulting savings should be used to buy more through more borrowing and ultimately increased debt. But instead, the extra money from lower interest rates should be used to pay off debt.

I believe this crisis to be a turning point for this country and we need to deal with this mess head on. There are too many involved in a solution who have their own self-interests at heart.

It's time to pay the bills.