During the presidential campaign, and as we’re nearing the first of the year, we’ve been hearing a lot about the fiscal cliff. There are a lot of different opinions on how it should be handled, and the two sides of our government have been going head to head with different solutions, but can’t seem to reach an agreement. Now, I’m not here to tell you which side is right and what will help us avoid the cliff. Rather, I want to briefly explain (in plain English) what the fiscal cliff means to you, and how you can join a movement to pay off the country’s debt and help us avoid the fiscal cliff.

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What is the Fiscal Cliff?

The fiscal cliff refers to the expiration of a variety of tax cuts, some dating from 2001, and the beginning of new taxes and spending cuts. If no solution to avoiding the cliff is reached before Jan. 1, 2013, the effect on the economy could be dire. Job loss, increased taxes for all Americans, and the economy slipping back into recession are just a few of the outcomes political and financial analysts are predicting from both sides of the table.

It sounds bad, doesn’t it? So why aren’t our government leaders moving quickly to avoid this possible economic catastrophe? That’s a good question.

Can We Compromise?

Democrats and Republicans have different views on how to handle the economy and the fiscal cliff. Democrats are in favor of the tax cuts expiring and cutting spending, while Republicans generally want to avoid those things. But is there a middle ground? The general consensus is, yes. There is a compromise that can be reached. And that isn’t only the opinion of political analysts.

According to a new Gallup Poll, 62% of Americans would like to see the Federal Government compromise on on an agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff. We’re also optimistic that an agreement can be reached, as the poll also showed 44% of Americans believe it is “somewhat likely” that an agreement will be reached before the end of the year.

Petition to Fix the Debt

So now you may be thinking, is there any way I can help to make sure our government reaches an agreement? Well, there actually is. A campaign called Fix the Debt has a citizen’s petition to congress and the president to reach a compromise before the economy falls over the fiscal cliff. The main points of the non-partisan petition are:

You can sign the petition, anonymously if you’d like, and show our country’s leaders that you want to fix the debt. As of this writing, the petition has 319,798 signatures, with a goal of 400,000. Getting our country out of debt is a lot like getting ourselves out of debt: We need to make a plan, and stick to it.

What are your opinions on the fiscal cliff? Do you think our nation’s leaders should compromise? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.