We are faced with another Bush who admits that math is fuzzy to him (remember the brother in the savings and loan disaster that added trillions to our taxes?) George W. does have an indisputable track record in Texas: a steadily worsening environment and his efforts to prevent the state from participating in the CHIP program for children without health care. Not all Texans suffered, however. Bush did offer generous targeted tax breaks to the wealthy and the oil industry.

Bush has struggled with fuzzy math for some time. As a director of an energy company, Bush traded thousands of shares before news of the corporation’s financial difficulties were made public.

Bush also struggles with fuzzy math in his declaration to “do everything I can to defend the power of private property and private property rights.” Yet, Bush and his fellow investors created the Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority that expropriated 270 acres of private land. When homeowners and farmers refused to sell for the low prices being offered, the authority condemned their land and used it for commercial development that made Bush and his friends rich.

We have a surplus that can retire the national debt by 2012, or we can spend that surplus to gain similar results to the past eight abysmal years in Texas. A surplus is a windfall. If you found yourself with a windfall in your home budget, would you permanently reduce your income for all future years based on an assumption that a windfall will arrive every year? Or would you use the windfall in your home budget to pay down your debts? Good grief, Bush, we need accountability that a presidential contender can at least understand simple math.

Everett