Ball point pen on the morning newsprint I remember the anxiety I felt when I signed the mortgage for my home. The numbers may seem minuscule in comparison, but everything is relative. It's a risk to borrow against future earnings to invest in building your present life. No matter how good the intentions or fiscally sound the plan, it's impossible to predict all the variables. I felt the same anxiety when Donna and I had our two children, when we bought our first car or built my studio. But used responsibly, debt can be a great tool to build a future. Now, will generations of lawmakers be disciplined enough to do the legislative equivalent of staying home on Saturday nights, stretching an extra year out of that old coat or eating pasta five nights a week to pay down this 787 billion dollar mortgage? Stay tuned. ...