TIME FOR WORRY

Not even during the cold war was I as worried for my countries future, as I am now. No matter how unprepared we were for war with a foreign power, our military and industrial capacity could overcome any enemy. Candidly, what has me worried now, is Washington. Overspending and huge deficits are nothing new. However, we always had some idea of how much we were spending and how our debt could be paid. The dollar was sound and our credit worthiness was never questioned. I question if that is still the case.

The stimulus bill is bad, but something was needed and even with loads of waste, it can work. Then along comes Cap and Trade with an unknown cost and an unknown impact on our daily lives. I view all of the health care proposals as "A bridge too far." Hundreds of amendments are being added to an already costly package. We are told we can't wait for the independent Congressional Budget Office to determine the cost of this legislation. The President, the Congress and the media either do not know or will not give us the true facts. Most citizens know we are deliberately being kept in the dark. As Rahm Emanuel said, "Never let a crises go to waste."

Health care is 16% of the U. S. economy. While I have been unable to find an exact figure for energy, Department of Energy estimates range from 8% to 14%. This is what Washington is tinkering with, in these two pieces of legislation. Consider how the Auto industry and the Financial institutions factor into the economy. Yet we are told none of this can wait, even a few weeks to determine the economic impact, let alone the effect on our lives. It is time for political infighting and finger pointing to stop. While some might be worse than others, all of our elected representatives are failing us. If you were a bank, would you give a mortgage to these people?

Joel Brandes