Brinkmanship opinion lacked common sense

The Daily Herald’s founder, H.C. Paddock, was intent on making money and telling the truth but he was silent on the use of common sense.

In your recent “Our View” editorial Dec. 22, common sense is not merely lacking, it is dead and buried. The writer hints that our government’s dysfunction can be fixed by voting out all current office holders. This, after acknowledging that the two parties themselves are populated with ideologues. This opinion piece illustrates brilliantly how uninformed the writer is of the very issues that separate the parties.

No, dear editorial writer, this ongoing battle is not about winning elections. The Tea Party Republicans who won in 2010 were sent to office to change Washington’s spending madness. Americans who do not depend on our liberal spending government (i.e. conservatives), are trying desperately to turn the nation around toward fiscal sanity. The free spending Democrat-liberals will look into any camera and twist the truth to protect their liberal and unaffordable philosophies.

So stop blaming both parties and expecting some middle-of-the-road agreement. Social Security cannot afford to have its revenue stream diminished for years. Unemployed people cannot be supported for years at a time by an overtaxed populace. Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid must be reformed despite the objections of Democrats.

And “Fair Share”? Does the writer know the federal, state, county and local income and sales tax rates that half of all Americans are already paying while the other half pay no federal income tax? At this time in world history, this newspaper must get off the tightrope and open its eyes to our serious problems. We cannot afford to bargain with socialistic policies and government giveaways. Common sense must take a stand.

John Skaritka

Elgin