Misleading Budget Opinion

Friday's Highlands Today editorial "Obama must stand up to his own party on budget," I believe, misrepresents the entire budget process and wrongly leaves the impression that it is the Democrats who did most of the wasteful spending.

First the paper states that, "we want the silly, superfluous budget items erased from this bill," then goes on to say, "Some of these on the face look like wasteful spending when, in fact, they serve a real need." You can't have it both ways folks.

Now I have not read the budget in detail, but before making a statement like the one above I would certainly like to see the evidence that an overwhelming proportion of those additional items supported by various legislators democratically elected by their constituents are actually "wasteful spending."

The paper goes on to state, "Every cent must be spent on projects that put people to work, serve people who need it most, are sustainable and help our economy in the long run." Indeed this is the goal of the budget but, let's get real. This is Earth not Nirvana. Can any organization say they do no wasteful spending? We must expect some waste in any human endeavor. In fact, the second law of thermodynamics teaches us that there is always waste in all physical and energy transactions. Not maybe, Must be!

Second point, who is it that is doing all this "wasteful spending"? Well it turns out that about $2.2 billion was added by each party. And the Republicans are outnumbered roughly 60/40 in the Senate and House so therefore they are about 50 percent more guilty of this supposedly "wasteful spending" then the Democrats. I am not knocking the Republicans here but let's not put the onus on Obama for not controlling the Democrats when the Republicans are disproportionately responsible for this non problem.

Lastly, the paper rightly points out that, "The president doesn't want to anger the same representatives he will need to pass future legislation." But then goes on to say "he has to take the high road and be above this."

Eric A. Veltri
Sebring