This week I attended the National Association of Counties (NACo) conference in Washington, DC, alongside thousands of county leaders from across the country. During sessions on economic development, cybersecurity, and fiscal policy, one message came through clearly, regardless of party: federal funding is likely to shrink, and local governments must prepare now. A session titled "The Federal Fiscal Cliff Ahead" outlined the discretionary programs counties rely on, the mandates we must meet, and the structural pressures ahead. There was some discussion about Social Security. While the trust fund faces long-term strain, federal law still requires benefits to be paid, and ongoing payroll taxes continue to fund the program. That means Congress will have to act to address the gap, but the obligation itself does not simply disappear, even if the trust fund gets depleted. The same is not true for programs like Medicaid and SNAP, which depend on annual federal appropriati...