Government Debt as a Percentage of GDP

I think economists are doing a major disservice to the public by measuring and comparing government debt and fiscal deficits as a percentage of GDP. First, the government has no claim on the GDP. Imagine comparing a company's debt load or losses with respect to the total available market for their products?!? A company's debt or losses are rightly compared to the revenue it takes in. We must start comparing a government's debt and fiscal deficits to tax revenues.

Second, comparing government debt and fiscal deficits to a percentage of the GDP lulls the reader or listener into thinking it is OK to maintain that same percentage. In other words, the GDP grows and the debt grows. No problem. In reality, it is a problem the debt never decreases as a percentage of GDP.

I for one am glad the politicians have borrowing and debt and deficits at the top of the agenda. What could be better?