It's time to limit military spending
In response to Mary Lou Hoeltje's letter, "Military must be top priority again," here are a few questions for her:
1. Is it the "media and ruthless Democrats" that have caused 70 percent of Americans to disapprove of the job George Bush has been doing? Gosh, they're influential!
2. The Department of Defense budget for Clinton's last year in office was $267 billion -- a $12.6 billion increase from the prior year. How does that constitute "stripping" the military?
3. She states that "it is about time that our military becomes a top priority." The military has had its way for many years and now has a $400-plus billion budget, which is one key reason for our $9 trillion national debt.
So the final question is, what does $4-per-gallon gas have to do with military spending? Answer: The decline of the U.S. dollar via relentless deficit spending to pay for an unnecessary $2 trillion war in Iraq.
If Mary Lou Hoeltje wants to surrender her Social Security to pay for a stronger military, go for it.
As for myself, I favor a much smaller military, featuring an elite, mobile attack force and better intelligence services, which is the real way to fight terrorism.
It's time to get rid of the bloated military budgets and outmoded Cold War weaponry and focus on more important priorities.
The world has changed; so should our military.
Jeff Kressmann
Palatine