Saturday Night Live Turns 50, and One Sketch Still Explains Washington’s Spending Addiction—and Taxpayer Pain—Perfectly
Fifty years of Saturday Night Live have given us some of the best comedy—Coneheads, Wayne’s World, More Cowbell. But one skit stands above the rest for those of us at National Taxpayers Union for its sheer brilliance in breaking down fiscal insanity.
It wasn’t political. It wasn’t partisan. It was just common sense—which is why, of course, Congress has completely ignored it.
In 2006, Steve Martin and Amy Poehler played an average couple sitting down with a financial advisor, played by Chris Parnell. Their problem? Debt. Their solution? Buying more stuff they couldn’t afford. The advisor’s advice?
“Don’t buy stuff you cannot afford.”
That’s it. And yet, Martin and Poehler’s characters stare at him like he’s explaining quantum physics. “But what if we WANT it?” “What if it’s on sale?” “What if we put it on a credit card?”
Sound familiar? It should—because this is exactly how Washington operates.
Congress: The Ultimate Maxed-Out Credit Card Holder
The United States is now more than $36 trillion in debt—that’s trillion with a “T.” And what’s the government’s solution? More spending. They just keep swiping the taxpayer-funded credit card, never once stopping to ask, “Wait, should we?”
- Want a new trillion-dollar spending bill? Swipe.
- Need to bail out a failing program? Swipe.
- Can’t balance the budget? Swipe.
No concern for the balance. No thought about the future. Just spend now, let taxpayers deal with it later.
(And now—get this—the very same people who treat your tax dollars like Monopoly money are suddenly worried that banks and credit card companies charge swipe fees to process transactions. You know, the people who actually have to balance their books? Washington maxed out America’s credit card and now they’re mad someone has to cover the transaction cost.)
Taxpayers: The Government’s Favorite ATM
When the bill for all this reckless spending inevitably comes due, Washington never cuts back—they just take more from you. You’re working harder, budgeting, making sacrifices, but somehow, your paycheck keeps getting smaller thanks to higher taxes.
And it’s not just the feds—state lawmakers are just as bad. From California to New York, they keep racking up deficits and then acting surprised when they have to hike taxes on families and businesses to cover their mess.
If Families Can Cut Back, So Can Government
Every American household has had to tighten their belt at some point. We cut out luxuries, trim expenses, and make responsible choices. Meanwhile, Washington keeps spending and expects you to pay the tab.
So, as SNL turns 50, maybe—just maybe—our elected officials should take two minutes out of their busy schedules (between spending sprees) to watch this legendary skit. Because Steve Martin’s character may have been clueless—but compared to Congress? He’s Warren Buffett.
So here’s the message to every lawmaker in America:
- If you don’t have the money, don’t spend it.
- If you’re running out of cash, stop wasting it.
- And if you think raising taxes or adding more debt is the answer, watch the sketch again.