Vail Daily letter: Debt piling up

Back in September, I wrote to state the madden-ing news that Congress was raising the debt ceiling from $9 trillion in 2008 to $12.8 trillion by September, the third increase since our new administration took office in January.

They are now raising our debt by $1.8 trillion to more than $14 trillion.

It is truly mind numbing. Four increases in one year alone!

Don’t be misled. We must pay this back. We can-not ignore this debt, as the world must rely on our abil-ity to pay our debt.

We face the real possibil-ity of our economy collaps-ing under this debt.

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Right now, every man, woman and child owes more than $39,500 in debt alone, or if you break it out to each taxpayer (two per household), that is more than $111,000. It equates to 26 percent of our gross domestic product.

Now, let’s throw in $1.3 trillion in new health care proposals. Add $300 billion to a second stimulus bill.

Meanwhile, our president flies around the world, par-tying like a rock star, ignor-ing his duties to “protect and defend the Constitution.”

Here’s a small but signifi-cant slap in the face to ice this letter: Nancy Pelosi just got a new 200-passenger Boeing 757, painted just like Air Force One.

Her Gulfstream jet wasn’t adequate to fly her home every weekend. This plane costs us, the taxpayers, more than $60,000 to oper-ate, each way!

Every single member of Congress should be replaced this coming elec-tion. If they are an “incum-bent,” vote them out.

Mr. President, we had our chance in Afghanistan, but instead, Bush invaded Iraq, which was a huge mistake.

Afghanistan is now beyond our means, and let’s not make any more huge mistakes.

We need to come home and fix things here.

Karl Berger Wolcott