It's time to throw all the incumbents out

The federal government found itself in dire straits.

The financial system was on the brink of collapse and, due to the global nature of the economy and the level of foreign investment in the United States, financial markets around the globe were suffering the fallout out as well.

There was plenty of blame to go around, including:

-An administration that failed to regulate a financial industry seduced by the lure of rates of return far beyond what would be considered reasonable;

-A federal government that could not contain its own spending and ran up the largest budget deficit in history;

-And individuals, encouraged by their commander-in-chief to spend, spend, spend to sustain t he growth of the economy, who borrowed more than they could afford (with the help of mortgage brokers whose compensation was tied to the mortgages they sold) and racked up enormous credit card debt.

The situation was grave and the options few.

Congress was called upon to lead the nation with great courage and make tough choices. How did they respond?

They were unable to pass a three-page bill, distasteful as it was to honest, hardworking, fiscally responsible Americans, until that bill bloated up to 400 pages, saturated with over $1 billion in additional earmarks.

This is an outrage.

It is time for the American people to rise up and send a message to Washington that we are "mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore."

Perhaps if on Nov. 4, not one incumbent was re-elected, we the people could send a message to our elected servants that when they fail to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to the electorate, the people will use their power at the polls to find someone else who will.

Sharon Lanera

Palatine