Letter to the Editor

From Aaron Lindekugal, a letter in today's OPP-

The DFL and GOP are arguing over how to solve a five billion dollar budget gap. A similar issue is being contested in Wisconsin and many other states. Gas and food prices are spiking while job creation is being very stubborn. While these tough issues are being debated, the U.S. House of Representatives and US Senate are involved in a battle over whether we should cut one hundred billion dollars or four billion dollars of spending out of the current budget cycle. For anyone paying attention this is akin to debating whether we should bail out the Titanic with a one gallon pitcher or a five gallon bucket. The budget deficit for the current year is 1.6 trillion dollars and projected to be 1.65 trillion dollars for 2012. The Republican solution is to spend 6 percent less and the Democrat solution is to spend .25 percent less to finish out the year. Next year we have the same problem. The President Obama is requesting a 3.7 trillion dollar budget and our elected officials think shaving 100 billion dollars might help. It almost makes you wonder if Bernie Madhoff and his lawyers argued if they should eat at Applebee’s or McDonalds before he went to prison. For those of you who think Minnesota’s five billion dollar shortfall is hard to stomach consider this. At current spending levels the United States will spend four and a half billion dollars more than it takes in every day for the next year. EVERY SINGLE DAY! Cut spending, reduce entitlements, print money, whatever. Something needs to be done, and be done soon. But most of all it should be done wisely.

Aaron Lindekugel
Owatonna