National debt clock runs out of digits

If you need more evidence that America is in real financial peril, go to Times Square.

The National Debt Clock, a ticker that records America’s national deficit, has run out of digits.

The debt currently stands at over $10 trillion.‚  The clock however does not have enough spaces to record a debt in excess $9,999,999,999,999.

As a short-term fix (if you can call it that), the Durst Organization, which runs the clock, will replace the dollar symbol on the ticker with the “1” in $10 trillion.

The sign was erected in 1989 when the debt stood at about $2.7 trillion. In 2000 however, the clock began to malfunction and started shaving roughly $30 a second off the debt.

When it was shut down the clock read: “Our national debt: $5,676,989,904,887. Your family share: $73,733.” The debt has risen almost $5 trillion in less than 20 years.

The problem will be fixed sometime next year.

Just another example of the state of America’s economy.‚  The clock is a pretty cool idea, but I’d imagine walking by and reading it on a daily basis would be pretty depressing.

The day the Durst Organization updates the sign will be pretty depressing too.‚  The update would make it possible for the sign to track a debt of up to a quadrillion dollars.‚  Can you imagine that?

I can’t imagine a quadrillion of anything, let alone dollars.

Presidential race flashback: In his 2000 campaign, Al Gore said he’d eliminate the national debt by 2012. That would’ve required decreasing the deficit in 12 years by as much it was raised in 20.

Oh, and by 2012 he would’ve been out of office for a full term.