I admire many people's thoughts concerning the overspending by politicians in Washington D.C. Healthy debate on issues is the mainstay in America. We, the people, need to continue getting our elected officials attention. I would hope that everyone would continue to swamp our elected officials with letters and emails concerning subjects on the federal agenda. There are a few corrections to misinformaition that should be made though prior to sending to our elected officials.
First and foremost, people out there on the extreme ends of the political spectrum are quoting of George Bush leaving us with a ten trillion dollar budget deficit. This is massively off base.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) deficits and surpluses since President Kennedy on a year by year basis have been on the steady increase (SEE CHART BELOW). TV pundits continue to use the 10 trillion number hole Bush supposedly left us with. There is no fact or basis for this number. Where this number is being created is unknown even to the federal government. President Bushes budgets left us with a deficit of 632 billion dollars with three years 2004-2006 actually showing cuts into the deficit. Go to www.cbo.gov for an independent analysis of numbers. The General Accounting Office (GAO) is also a good source for accurate information. All I am saying is don't be lazy and rely on some extremist opinionator to provide you with information on our government. Find it yourself.

    President Clinton, while doing a decent budget job while in office, obtained a large portion of his surpluses thru extended military budget cuts. Clinton cut 72% of the Department of Defense Budget (See GAO) over his 8 year period in office. After Sept 11, 2001 the military spending had to be increased again to pay for even simple things like armor on troop carriers. Our troops were woefully ill equipped during the Clinton years and Bush did, in fact, spend massive amounts of money fighting two wars (Sorry...I meant to say “conflicts”) on Al Qaida. That being said...Bush did spend heavily in the discretionary arena although Congress is to blame for spending...not a president. The President okays the spending but Congress controls the purse strings.
    The second issue is extremist comments of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. These are socialist programs and while these programs are necessary in the United States there needs to be a major overhaul of all three. Being against socialism does not mean being against these programs. Socialism involves bigger issues than these three programs and will bring more losses of individual freedoms and liberties. Government deciding what is best for each of us as it pertains to me and my family is not acceptable.
    Social Security was never intended to be a retirement program but rather a safety net. I have considerable issues with a program that Warren Buffett qualifies to draw a check from each month! As for Medicare and Medicaid, these are much needed programs, again, as a safety net. The taxpayers though are being bilked by unscrupulous billers nationwide. Medicare and Medicaid are failing due to the miles of beauracratic red tape inside these programs. All three programs are shining examples of government being unable to run a successful social program. Other countries have already shown that socialism does not work
and have begun working back toward becoming democratic republics. Why should we do something that has already been done and proven to not work?

So there you have my opine based on CBO and GAO. Let's all start to figure things out for ourselves and quit relying on the radio and TV dunderheads for their distorted information that only proves their side and not the complete picture.