by Charles Ray

Created on: April 17, 2009

The word on the street is that if you elect democrats, they will tax us all into poverty and fund every crazy entitlement program under the sun. News flash! Every administration, democrat or republican, has gone on a spending binge at some point in its existence. The difference has been, in most cases, only what they were spending our money on.

As a staunch Independent, I must leap to the defense of the democrats. They, at least, start out spending on things that benefit the little guy. Education, better health care; things that those of us who can't afford to fly on our own corporate jet appreciate. The other party (names will be withheld to protect the guilty) spent a lot of money on tax breaks for large corporations (which turned around and asked for more in the form of bailouts) and the wealthy (who need large tax breaks in order to donate to charity - but more about that at another time). Furthermore, the republicans never seemed to see an expensive defense toy they didn't like. Or a war either for that matter. Don't think the war in Iraq is burning up a lot of America's money? How does $12 billion a month sound? Tack on another three or four billion for Afghanistan, and we're talking about real money here.

Now, here's the question: would you rather spend $12 billion a month trying to pacify a people who hate our guts and really just want us to get the hell out of their country, or on better health care for the millions of Americans who are without access to adequate medical attention? Do we need another B-1 or B-2 airplane at a cost of a few billion per copy? Or do we need better schools and better paid teachers for a generation of American kids growing up unprepared to complete a drivers license application without assistance? Do we want to spend billions building a wall along the Mexican border that will not really keep illegal aliens out of this country absent real sanctions against companies that employ them, or do we want to rebuild our crumbling highway and bridge network to avert another disastrous collapse?

Now, the truth is; perhaps the democrats ARE going crazy with our money. Maybe they do have plans that will cost billions and generate very little in return. We won't know that until they are given a chance. Unfortunately, much of the money spent in the short term will be used to undo all the harm done by the inattention of the past eight years when the other party was going crazy with America's money. Maybe it's something in the water in Washington that causes all politicians to go a bit loopy, and they all go crazy with the ability to maneuver so many zeros behind those dollar signs. Maybe it's the lack of real accountablilty, and they are just too far removed from the consequences of their decisions. Folks, only time will tell.

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