Guest speaker Paul Smith spoke about the federal budget, which he said concerns us all, at this week’s Rotary Club meeting.

Smith is the National Political Director and Southern Regional Director of The Concord Coalition, a non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to educating the public about the causes and consequences of federal budget deficits and how to build a sound foundation for economic growth.

He said he will speak to any group that listens to him about the need to be fiscally responsible.

“It can seem very gloom and doom,” he said. “The challenges we have before us are quite profound.”

Smith highlighted the importance of facing the issues of national debt and deficit with a PowerPoint presentation illustrating the facts.

The gross national debt is almost $16 trillion, he said. The different between spending and revenue, or deficit, adds to that number each year.

“People need to be educated about this,” Smith said. “You don’t have to get a Master’s degree to understand, but you do have to have a basic knowledge of what’s going on.”

For more information on the national debt, visit www.concordcoalition.org.