Reducing the Deficit

It seems that in election years we hear about how bad the incumbent is at balancing the budget. I think it would be very difficult to balance any budget that has to go through several committees to get approved. Then there are always people who think that some spending on a project needs to be done. The deficit isn't entirely the fault of the President, it also lays at the feet of the congress and senate. There always seems to be groups from both sides of the house that want to add to the spending side of the budget.

Our government was set up so that the people could tell the leaders what we wanted done, not what the leaders thought we needed. Shouldn't these suggestions by the senate and congress be put to vote by those that it effects the most, namely us? When has any of us been able to go to an employer and say "You are going to give me a raise, and by the way I do not want to contribute to Social Security or Medicare, I have another Retirement plan that I think is better."? Yet that is what congress and the senate does every year, they vote to give themselves a raise, and they don't contribute to social security or Medicare. If these programs aren't good enough for them why can't we choose what program they use? Shouldn't we, who have effectively employed them by voting for them, be the ones to tell them what their salary is? If we did that maybe there wouldn't be a deficit. Shouldn't we as intelligent, working individuals be able to choose whether or not we want to contribute part of our social security into private financing? Or do we let the goverment keep treating us as if we are to stupid to make our own minds up?