Numerous letters in the last few months have raved at length about the government spending too much, putting us in debt, ruining our future, etc.
They usually include some chest-beating statement of needing a revolt. I ask you, where were these budget hawks during 2001-2005, when a “conservative” Congress agreed to fully fund two wars and dramatically increased discretionary spending on all manner of pork-barrel projects while simultaneously slashing taxes on the wealthiest citizens?
How is it that we went from a budget surplus and paying down the national debt under a centrist Democrat to enormous deficits in just two years? In six years, the debt increased by trillions of dollars. That money was taken directly from middle and working class citizens and scattered to the wind with no lasting societal benefit.
I don’t like the notion of us running so much red ink; but, if we have to do so, at least now we’re spending it on infrastructure and supporting the middle class in this devastating economy. If we slash government spending to save money, the economy will completely deflate, just like it did in 1929-1931 when conservatives tried to “fix” the collapsing economy by cutting taxes and spending. We all know how that turned out.
Patrick Bertiaux
Everett
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