by Sarah Mcbride

Union Jack
geishaboy500/Flickr

Britain is running a record deficit

It looks like that whole no-taxation-without-representation protest really sunk in on the Brits.

Facing a 155 billion pound budget deficit, Britain asked its citizens to suggest areas where the government could cut spending. The public made more than 100,000 suggestions, ranging from withdrawing troops from Afghanistan to phasing out line-painting on backroads.

Britain's Treasury Department compiled more than 40,000 of them onto its "Spending Challenge" Web site. Citizens have until Aug. 31 to visit the site and vote on the suggestions, using a five-star system.

Governments here in the US, facing severe spending challenges of their own, take note.