Letters to the editor

President frightening AmericansThe president is frightening Americans with threats that the government will stop processing Social Security checks and stop paying military personnel. I agree that he is gambling that Republicans will yield to fears of a ferocious public backlash if the government is unable to pay its bills in a push for spending cuts. But both Democrats and Republicans must realize deep spending cuts are needed. It’s an issue both political parties must act upon for the good of the country if a dreadful calamity is to be avoided. The president says the GOP lawmakers should “act responsibly” and pay our bills. Both parties should “act responsibly” and move toward cutting out waste and spending. Someone said that the debt limit is like the speed limit — it cannot be exceeded without severe consequences. As Sen. Obama, he refused to vote for a debt-limit increase saying it was unpatriotic. It seems to be an issue of which party is doling out the “freebies” and I don’t mean Social Security or defense spending. There is a limit to the excess to which our financial structure can be strained. Both parties must cut government spending back to size. While citizens live on austerity budgets, President Obama blows over $3.6 million on a three-week vacation to Hawaii at taxpayer expense. This taxpayer’s budget will not allow such excess. I’m cold, would like to dip my toes in the warm Hawaiian waters, but I have to live within my budget. So should our government!Carol BauerDaytonDoes anyone else see the irony?Does anyone besides me see the irony of an administration, who conducted its botched “Fast and Furious” plan and allowed sale of automatic weapons to Mexican cartels, now using children in its efforts at gun control?Every attempt at investigating “Fast and Furious” has been met with stonewalling, executive orders preventing information, the pointing of blame at others, and shifting and covering up all responsibility. No one has been fired, only re-assigned. These weapons were used to murder one of our border patrol officers along with countless Mexican citizens, including children. Some are now being used to commit crimes in this country. Is it any wonder that some of our citizens are resisting being disarmed by that same government?Margery L. ScottCarson City