RATS

About the Book

RATS was written for the sole purpose of saving America from a fiscal train wreck that could end this nation's greatness and ability to lead the world. It delivers a serious message in an entertaining manner and will be sent to every member of both the House and Senate budget committees. Eric (a self-educated historian) and Hank (a lovable old redneck who lived his entire life in a small community outside Clarksburg, West Virginia) are fictional characters who spend their retirement discussing (or discussin' as Hank would pronounce it) the non-fictional crisis in Washington. This is the second book on this subject written by Martin Fleming. The first, published in 1998 entitled American Politics and Fiscal Responsibility, opined that the legislation signed by President Clinton on August 5, 1997 would not bring about the desired result. That budget, Fleming wrote, "will not stand the test of time and deliver a fiscal situation where federal revenues will cover expenditures on a sustained basis." Fleming, now retired, spent his entire working career in the field of finance. He is a fiscal conservative, but the rationale in this book is rigidly nonpartisan. Raised in a small farming community in Connecticut, he was graduated from Bryant College with a B.S. and earned an MBA at American International College. His interest in politics began with the Great Depression and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This interest intensified during the Watergate era, when he was employed by the Washington Post and observed the workings of Washington up close.

About the Author