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PrintFirst of all, George Kennedy's notion of fiscal wisdom — a budget deficit — is so outrageously irresponsible as to be laughable. There isn't a sane person in the world who would advocate indebtedness. And second, the reason I write this letter is to inform Mr. Kennedy and all readers that his statement, that "Bush II squandered the balanced budget Bill Clinton bequeathed," is completely erroneous. Clinton actually had a deficit budget when he left office. The reason for the widely purported balanced budget claim is because of the theft of hundreds of billions of dollars from the Social Security till (meant to be untouched) and counted it as general revenue. You may check the history facts on this. Even the dollar figure given every year for our deficit is erroneous because the practice of counting Social Security funds is now a shady annual slight of hand meant to lighten the monstrous deficit spending our government does. So let's not be giving kudos to Clinton or any president who is complicit in this illegal act of irresponsible fiscal behavior.
Patricia Green lives in Columbia.
Show Me the Errors 
Comments
Ms Green ~ Mr. Kennedy's notion of a state deficit as a good thing is not new to this nation. In the 1790s, the High Federalist (the predecessor to the GOP) Alexander Hamilton (conservative) proposed that maintaining a national debt is vital to the nation's sovereignty and prosperity. President George W. Bush told the American people after the 9/11 attacks to shop, send money, use your credit cards, i.e. go into debt.
In the case of President Clinton, it was the House of Representative, then headed by possible 2012 presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, that incorporate the SSI funds into revenue to bolster the conservative position. It seems, Ms. Smith, it is you that needs to check "the history (sic) facts."
Dear Mr Rosman,
Excellent, thought out, and correct reply.
Thank you for your comment.