Van P. Keele’s recent letters in local newspapers gives me the opportunity to communicate with him once again, as well as others on-line who have not been complimentary about my debt ceiling letter. I must sincerely apologize to Mr. Keele and those others for my over-estimating their abilities to understand the written word! Nowhere in my letter did I specify that current spending obligations should be eliminated.
Keele’s letter demonstrates several things about liberals’ capabilities as follows: 1) They can read, but have an understanding difficulty; 2) They didn’t understand Economy 101 during their education process; 3) They jump to unjustifiable conclusions, and 4) They need further clarification so that they can understand what they are being taught – I can do that for all of them!
For some reason, liberals critiquing my letter jump to the conclusion that I suggested current spending obligations would not be honored. I challenge them to find such a statement in my letter – they can’t, because it simply is not true! My intent was to hold off raising the debt ceiling until liberals got the message that the debt ceiling would not be raised until agreements were enacted that required significant future governmental spending reductions. Logically thinking people would obviously understand that point without bluntly saying it! I wonder if liberals can, even now, understand my message. Such spending reductions are mandatory if we can ever balance a budget. Keele, it would be good of you to heed you own thoughts when you say that it is time to do the responsible thing and pay our bills, then we can get serious about a responsible budget. Keele would be right only if we could afford to pay our bills! However, he is not right and that point blows up his whole diatribe, resulting in wasted space in the newspapers! He is not right because Obama has demonstrated that we can’t pay our bills by adding more than one trillion each year to our debt!
It would be nice if Senate liberals would pass a budget – let alone a responsible budget. Quite frankly, Obama issued an embarrassing budget for Senate consideration that was so irresponsible even Democrats wouldn’t vote for it.
Further, Keele gives Clinton a lot of credit for having a balanced budget. Well, I got news for him, Clinton did it only after Gingrich and conservatives forced him to do so!
I see that Keele has bought into Obama’s tax vs. revenue plan of a “balanced approach.” That Obama plan calls for continuing currently increased spending trends, plus the additional cost of implementing Obamacare and then taxing more to “balance” costs and revenue. We already can’t afford existing costs and tax revenue, but to a liberal that is okay – as long as it is “balanced“, that is more taxes balance out more spending. Does that make sense to anyone but liberals?
It is difficult to understand why it took Keele so many words to demonstrate that he doesn’t understand Econ101! Van P., I will significantly abbreviate Econ 101 for you – it is just this simple, don’t spend money that you don’t have or can’t afford. Then you will not require your descendants to pay off your debts! Responsible Americans have already found out, some the hard way, that you can not continue to pay your debts with borrowed money! Current information suggests that America has to borrow nearly 50 cents of every dollar we spend. Responsible Americans know it is unwise to allow current spending and borrowing trends to continue!
Jerry Haslip
Victor