The same arguments, counter-arguments and finger-pointing occurring in Washington over raising the country's debt ceiling are echoed here at home.
In Marietta, Sandy Springs, Atlanta and other communities, some Republicans, Democrats and independents are passionately certain about the course the nation's leaders should take. Others are still wrestling with the issue that is dominating the national news.
Kraig Rumsey said he tends to vote Republican, but he sees some wisdom in an idea pushed by the Democrats: closing tax loopholes for the wealthy. At the same time, he believes some wealthy people will spend more if they retain those breaks, and that could help the economy. Cutting government spending sounds like the right thing to do, he said, but he worries that reckless cuts could do more harm than good.
"There's no easy solution," said Rumsey, 39, of Decatur.
Some see raising the debt ceiling as a direct increase in government spending -- something they adamantly oppose.
Even among those who think the ceiling must be raised to stave off an immediate economic crisis, disagreement erupts over how to rein in the growth of the debt in coming years. Those arguments tap into deep-seated political and moral beliefs about what benefits the country and what damages it.
Many financial officials have warned that a failure to resolve the problem would be devastating, driving up interest rates, hampering credit and damaging the economic recovery. Some believe those warnings; others reject them as empty scare tactics.
Katie Rakestraw, 25, an Atlanta pharmacy student, worries that her mother and grandmother could lose Social Security benefits if politicians fail to reach an accord.
Clarmitha Crum, 34, of College Park, worries the impasse will devolve into a full-blown government shutdown.
But Tony Forcucci, a 43-year-old who works in custom textiles and apparels, doesn't believe that an economic crisis will ensue and that Social Security checks won't go out.
"That's a sham," he said. "If we reach that limit, the government has to start cutting spending."
Some people have lost faith in political leaders on both sides, whom they view as indulging in political brinkmanship at the expense of the American public.
"It concerns me that the ideologues will hold their ground and the United States will go into default," said Ken Leebow, 56, of Marietta. "Real issues, real people, real countries are involved."
Leebow, a former accountant who is now a health consultant, believes the solution should include raising taxes as well as cutting entitlement programs and military spending.
Raising tax rates is no answer at all for Harriette Majoros, 69, of Marietta. She knows about spending and saving. When her husband lost his job in 2001 and had to take another at half the pay, the couple learned how to live with less income.
The federal government needs to learn the same lesson, she said. "It's like a household," said Majoros.
She's willing to consider closing some tax loopholes, but for her spending cuts are what really matter.
"A lot of people get Medicaid who don't deserve it," she said. "I'm tired of paying to raise people's kids when they sit at home on the dole."
Diane Clark sees a different solution. "Everyone -- not just the wealthy -- should pay more taxes," said Clark, 63, of Dunwoody.
The retired educator said more taxes are needed to raise the debt ceiling and avert an international financial crisis. Indeed, she said she's willing to do so out of patriotism.
As for those who advocate cutting federal spending, she said, "I hope you don't use the roads. I hope you don't have children in school."
Others just hope that the issue can be resolved in a mutually agreeable way.
Jeremy Garlington has faith that it will. "I'm a hopeful person," said the Atlanta leadership consultant. "At the end of the day, they will find a compromise."
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