Politicians need to stop putting selves over nation

Published 8:56 am Tuesday, November 29, 2011

This is an open letter to all politicians. During this time of both national and global economic difficulties it may truly be necessary for the country to tighten its financial belt.

I am sick and tired of listening to those hypocritical politicians who say we must all sacrifice, then propose cuts to Social Security, Medicare, government agencies created to aid and protect us, programs for the disadvantaged, as well as to the salaries, benefits, and retirements of the working men and women who are the lifeblood of this country but then refuse to even consider that the wealthy give up their tax breaks.

I’m weary, too, of hearing the ending of tax breaks that were intended to be temporary in the first place being called “new taxes” or “tax hikes.”

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Also, all government regulations should, of course, be examined and monitored to be sure they are both necessary and effective.

But I am incensed by those politicians who call government regulations in general, which are the only means we have of protecting the health, safety and economic well-being of the rest of us from those who would take advantage of us and put us at risk in order to enrich themselves, “government interference in the private sector.”

As if we would be better off trusting that big business, multinational corporations and huge financial institutions have our best interests at heart.

And everyone is entitled to promote his or her point of view.

But I’m disgusted by those politicians who refuse to compromise at all; who hold the country hostage and threaten the necessary functioning of government in order to get exactly their own way; who put themselves, their particular ideologies, and the desires of their financial backers ahead of the good of the country as a whole.

In future elections I will be careful to withhold my vote from any politician guilty of these transgressions against the many committed for the benefit of the few.

If you feel this way, too, write your representative and senators, or cut out this letter and send it to them — or else we may never see anything get done.

Steve Belcher

Ironton