As Americans rush to file their taxes Monday, we should all take a minute to ask ourselves if what we are paying in taxes is fair, if we are getting the services we’re paying for, and if everything we are paying for is even necessary?

My answer is no, no and no.

Government spending is out of control. As its size and scope continues to swell into every aspect of our lives, it demonstrates little ability to navigate basic governmental functions. Property crime is rising in major cities, some of which have seen huge spikes in murders; gas prices, grocery prices, insurance costs, even fast-food prices are exploding due to record inflation over the past two years; mortgage interest rates, increased property values, even higher home insurance put affordable housing even further out of reach. Families are struggling to get by — let alone get ahead.

The U.S. national debt is nearing $35 trillion, and that eye-popping number is not coming down anytime soon. Quite the opposite — it continues to grow.

Servicing the federal debt (the interest paid) is projected to be an astonishing $870 billion in 2025 — more than 10 times the size Michigan’s entire annual budget, taking money away from critical services.

While Biden and congressional Democrats propose trillions in new taxes to fund their budgetary brinksmanship, our foreign adversaries are banding together to create a new world reserve currency that would devastate the dollar.

Here in Michigan, Democrats were “proud” to announce the largest budget in state history at $82 billion — a $23 billion increase during the Whitmer administration. And if you watched the governor’s State of the State speech, it was a laundry list of new spending proposals that will ultimately be thrown on the backs of Michigan taxpayers.

Let’s be honest. Republicans and Democrats are responsible for the mess we are in. And honesty is required if we are going to avert this imminent disaster.

I spent eight years in the Michigan House and Senate, while serving in the Michigan National Guard. After 22 years of service in the U.S. Army, including the Iraq War, I retired to run for Congress. The disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal was the final straw, but I am ultimately running as the father of four young kids deeply concerned about the lack of opportunities we are leaving for them.

I was an opponent of increased spending and higher taxes in the legislature and my record reflects that. I took a lot of criticism for voting against popular spending programs, including corporate subsidies that are now funding the Chinese Communist Party-influenced Gotion EV battery company.

We have to be honest about what’s happening in Washington, and we must protect the people we are running to represent. That means hard truths about spending, taxes and services. But until we stop treating taxpayers as ATMs while making it harder for them to get by, our problems are only going to get worse.

Today, I am signing the Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge and am committing myself to stopping the out-of-control spending that has put our nation on a perilous fiscal cliff and challenge every candidate to join me.

I spent eight years in the Michigan House and Senate, while serving in the Michigan National Guard. After 22 years of service in the U.S. Army, including the Iraq War, I retired to run for Congress. The disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal was the final straw, but I am ultimately running as the father of four young kids deeply concerned about the lack of opportunities we are leaving for them.

I was an opponent of increased spending and higher taxes in the legislature and my record reflects that. I took a lot of criticism for voting against popular spending programs, including corporate subsidies that are now funding the Chinese Communist Party-influenced Gotion EV battery company.

We have to be honest about what’s happening in Washington, and we must protect the people we are running to represent. That means hard truths about spending, taxes and services. But until we stop treating taxpayers as ATMs while making it harder for them to get by, our problems are only going to get worse.

Today, I am signing the Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge and am committing myself to stopping the out-of-control spending that has put our nation on a perilous fiscal cliff and challenge every candidate to join me.

Tom Barrett is a Republican candidate for Michigan's 7th congressional district and is a former member of the Michigan Legislature.