PURELY PATHETIC
Dear Editor,
Political commentators are saying that the bar for Trump’s debate performance has been set so low that all he basically has to do is show up at his podium. It’s truly pathetic. By the time you’re reading this, Trump may have been declared the winner of the first debate simply because he didn’t soil himself. Let’s hope the debate moderators do their job and expose each and everyone of Trump’s lies. But if they do, Hillary might not get a chance to speak. After all, 90 minutes goes fast. Next- Mylan raised the price of its EpiPen to $608- an increase of more than 500% since 2007. Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said she wishes the company had “better anticipated the magnitude and acceleration” of the rising prices for some families. Really? She had no idea how devastating it would be for a family to have to pay a 500% increase, for something to keep their child alive in case of an emergency? Disgraceful. It’s all about profit. And these are the businesses Trump wants to deregulate and give huge tax cuts to! But Ms. Bresch knows how hard it is for a struggling family. After all, she only “earned” $12 million last year. And with that measly pay she could only afford 2 EpiPens. PER HOUR, EVERY HOUR, EVERY DAY, FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!!! Greed is the downfall of America. P.S. Federal authorities formally charged 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami last Tuesday with planting a number of bombs in New York City and New Jersey over the weekend. His father Mohammad Rahami reported his son to the FBI over 2 years ago. He told them his son was acting strangely and that he believed he was a terrorist. But I guess the FBI was too busy investigating Hillay’s email.
Robert LaRosa
Whitestone
Blaming Obama
Dear Editor,
Blame both President Obama and Congress for our growing national debt and budget gridlock in Washington.
We need to return to the time when Congress held budget hearings for each department during the summer. A real balanced budget agency by agency was adopted during an open process. Members of Congress, federal employees, the public, watchdog groups and media were afforded sufficient time to understand the full contents prior to adoption. Full federal budgets were adopted on time prior to the start of any new Federal Fiscal year on October 1.
It is time to end the philosophy of cartoon charter Wimpy who famously said “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Washington has to stop spending money we do not have. President Obama and Congress should freeze overall spending by adopting 2008 spending levels in upcoming 2017 funding bills for all Federal agencies. There was no public outcry from Democrats in 2008 that the sky was falling. They didn’t say that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and a multi-trillion dollar government safety net were going to end. The 2008 budget was prior to the one-time stimulus (American Reinvestment Recovery Act), TARP, auto industry bailouts, cash for clunkers, Obama Health Care expenditures and eight trillion dollars in additional national debt. Now everything needs to be on the table including the infamous “third rails” of American politics — Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and military spending.
Our safety net for those in need survived 2008 in tact. Any future extension of the debt ceiling (this issue will be front and center again before the end of 2016 and once again conveniently after the 2016 Congressional elections) should be matched by corresponding real cuts in spending today, not tomorrow. Millions of Americans have cut far more out of their family budgets and managed to survive.
It is time to return to “pay as you go” budgeting, means testing for all government assistance and sunset provisions for agencies and programs that have completed their missions.
Everyone needs to do their fair share in bringing the budget deficit under control. Both Democrats and Republicans need to put everything on the table – no exceptions. It is time for government to destroy its own credit cards.
It is ironic that decades ago after winning the Cold War against the Evil Empire of Communism, it may be mismanagement of our economy that results in a decline of our standard of living. It may also end our reign as the worlds super power as we become the world super debtor nation.
On a bipartisan basis, both President Obama along with both Democrats and most Republicans in Congress have continued year after year adding trillions in additional debt and uncontrolled spending.
Everyone knows that the thousands of Washington K Street lobbyists representing every conceivable special interest group work behind the scenes hand in hand with the White House, Congress and Congressional staffers in writing their own favored special provisions into every Federal agency funding bill prior to adoption. Too many members of Congress upon retirement, just walk across the street to join the army of K Street lobbyists. The same holds true for many former cabinet members and other employees of the White House Executive branch at end of any Presidents term in office.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
