Both parties are guilty of spending
The value of our dollar in the global market declines daily, which drives up the price of some imported goods, such as oil, where the exporter doesn't know what the value of the dollar will be in the near future.
Everyday working people are forced to pay higher prices as a result of our government being out of control financially. Yet the Congress goes about its primary focus, "what can we spend, spend and spend today?"
Forget your party affiliation, because both parties are equally guilty and have brought our country to its financial knees. It's too late to play the "blame game."
Coupled with our national debt of about 9 trillion dollars, our unfunded Social Security and Medicare promises, our continuing annual deficits due to absolutely wild, uncontrolled spending by both political parties, who in their right mind internationally would not be reluctant to accept dollars?
This is a wonderful opportunity for the Congress to quit fighting and make stabilizing Social Security and Medicare solvent their top priority. This would tell the world that we actually have a government that can tackle the tough problems and come to successful conclusions. No more "investigations" that provide TV face time for the party leaders, but obscure what is really important.
Wall Street, the rating agencies (Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch's) and others have damaged the global financial system dramatically with sub-prime mortgages disguised as high-yielding, safe investments. Today no one knows where the loss total will end. All the more important that Congress take the lead in closing the gaping holes in our financial boat.
Earmarks, which incumbents of both parties use as bribes to their voters showing they can "bring home the bacon" keep the same people in office that have put us in the serious mess we are in, making it nearly impossible for new, fresh ideas to be brought into the picture. In addition, press reports have quoted the General Accounting Office as finding that 27 percent of each tax dollar that comes to Washington is spent there to feed the bureaucracy, leaving $0.73 to actually be spent on needed projects.
Why do we let Congress do that to us? We should keep as much of our taxes locally, within our county, and within our state to keep everyone's taxes at the minimum. We have a new Representative, Bill Foster, who needs to hear from all who care about this country. He can be reached at (630) 406-1114.
Richard Lindholm
Batavia