Pay closer attention to where money goes

For eight years the Republicans controlled both houses and passed billions of dollars in off-budget emergency spending bills. Much of that money went to purchases not even vaguely related to supporting our troops. The Congressional Record indicates, in each case, there were those who spoke against the bills, to no avail. The bills were rammed through and those who spoke against them were labeled as un-American or unpatriotic.

Thus, unaccounted for, large sums of taxpayer money fell into the accounts of Halliburton and other administration connected contractors. Most important, because those billions of dollars were off budget, they were never included in the reported deficit figures.

The Obama administration has demanded that all Pentagon spending will return to being reported in budget and reflected in the deficit figures we see. And, I'll bet the recent Tea Party participants were never informed about that fact when they were being whipped into their frenzy.

When we hear complaints against the policies and programs being implemented to correct the financial and foreign policy folly of the past eight years, one wonders how many people actually know what they're talking about. The newspapers can't have room for such information when they take space with articles about such things as spoofs about what famous people should participate in which reality shows. And, they certainly don't get that information from Fox News or other Tea Party rally organizers who focus on stirring rage and rebellion.

This is a new age of responsibility, and the media would do well to rededicate to reporting all the news with as much in-depth research and reporting as is possible. And we should all question the motives of anyone or any group who seeks our support by playing on our fears or frailties.

Gail Talbot

Huntley