While some might have actually sought a government shutdown, it’s important to remember, above all the din and outcry of the hour, that earnest Republicans like House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin have been hard at work crafting deficit reduction legislation. This offers real solutions to our nation’s greatest challenge.

Ryan’s plan, “The Path to Prosperity,” reduces our deficits by $6 trillion in 10 years. That contrasts sharply with President Barack Obama’s budget proposal, which would reduce deficit spending by only $1 trillion during the same period. If Americans were to sign on to the Obama budget plan, our national debt would be more than $25 trillion 10 years from now. That’s an astonishing $81,000 for every man, woman and child in America.

The government shutdown narrowly avoided Friday night loomed only because no agreement could be reached between the political parties about the current fiscal budget, let alone the next one. The squabbling in Washington about cutting current spending actually began last year when both houses of Congress were controlled by the Democrats. One would think Democrats should have taken care of this matter before the fiscal year began, but they instead chose to delay the process so they would have a better chance in the November elections.

Quite obviously, that strategy failed miserably.

What Republican leadership sought was $61 billion in reduced spending in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. This was miniscule, representing less than a fourth of 1 percent of total government spending for the current fiscal year. Yet Democrats were unwilling to agree to the budget passed by the House of Representatives. What Democrats continued to fight about were things like defunding National Public Radio, mouthpiece of the liberal left. To my way of thinking, if NPR receives federal funding, then so should News Corp, parent of Fox News.

Democrats also raised objections to the proposed defunding of Planned Parenthood, which performs abortions. Yes, the federal funding is technically for other valuable services performed by Planned Parenthood, but justifiable concern remains about taxpayer dollars in effect subsidizing abortions, however indirectly.

The deficit commission appointed by Obama laid out in detail steps needed to get America’s fiscal house in order. This bipartisan plan even called for simplifying our current tax system. Yet Obama chose to ignore his own commission’s ambitious plan. Here’s hoping that the so-called “Gang of Six” in the U.S. Senate, led by Sens. Tom Coburn and Dick Durbin, successfully revive it.

Ryan took a bold step last week when he introduced his own deficit reduction plan. Alongside him stood Congressman Bill Flores, R-Bryan, who represents Waco. Considering his position — directly to the right of Ryan — one might construe our freshman representative has already garnered the respect of senior Republican leaders. In this regard, he is doing exactly what we elected him to do.

“House Republicans know that implementing real spending cuts and reforms and keeping taxes low will allow us to earn back the trust of the American people, restore certainty for the private sector and spur job creation,” Flores said in a statement. “These tough yet responsible decisions must be made so that we may restore America’s promise, prosperity and security for our children and grandchildren.”

As a citizen rather than a partisan, I’m glad the president, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner managed to reach compromise on this year’s budget, even if it came an hour or so before a government shutdown.

But the battles yet to come — particularly those involving raising the federal debt ceiling and crafting the 2012 budget — promise far more fireworks. If there’s one consolation, it’s that we won’t be facing a ticking clock and the threat of a shutdown. The weeks and months ahead should yield a lively debate for all Americans that ultimately decides the fate of our nation.

Gordon Robinson is president of Robinson Media, which owns the Tribune-Herald .