Our politicians have been able to see the coming train wreck of excessive government spending but have ignored it. Riots in Greece caused by irresponsible government spending have not curbed Washington's appetite for excessive spending and increased debt. When President Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009, the debt stood at
$10.6 trillion. By Sept. 1, it had risen to $13.4 trillion, an increase of $2.8 trillion, nearly six times the amount of the Bush administration's first 19 months in office. Debt now accounts for 90 percent of the U.S. economy and is rising vs. Greece's debt at 115 percent of its gross domestic product.
However, our Rep. Jim Oberstar has not seen the light of an impending debt crisis. He has voted for every major spending bill that has crossed his desk. Has his spending helped our economy? When Obama took office, the unemployment rate stood at 7.7 percent, but in August 2010 it stood at 9.6 percent. Trillions of dollars are being thrown at our struggling economy and we have nothing to show for it. Luckily, District 8 voters can stop this situation by voting for Chip Cravaack and finally retiring Oberstar.
Craig Cina
Grand Rapids
