Letter: Federal Spending

With all due respect, Mr. Patton, it’s rather difficult to see how a problem of this magnitude is going to be addressed at the county level.

Though, if I remember correctly, in past letters you have told us that County Sheriffs have the power not only to enforce Constitutional law but to be the ultimate arbiters of what the Constitutional law is.

So perhaps you have another “unique” county-based plan to deal with the national deficit.

And actually - even in those states whose high taxes subsidize South Dakota’ own habitual deficit spending - taxes are seldom responsible for bankruptcies.

Far more bankruptcies of working people are because of medical expenses that our broken healthcare system imposes on Americans who aren’t well enough off to afford the highest per capita medical cost among developed countries.

Truthfully we’ve been spending more than we take in for decades. As you say, it’s truly been a bipartisan effort.

And as I’ve been explaining in my unrebutted postings, those of us living in rural states like South Dakota have been among those many Americans who are so accustomed to enjoying the financial benefits of this deficit spending that we don’t even acknowledge that we get much more from the federal government than we pay in federal taxes.

Furthermore a full QUARTER of this deficit is thanks to ONLY four years of Trump's unfunded tax breaks for himself and his donors.

(Please fact check this for yourselves, folks. I'm correct about all of this. That's why no one has contradicted me when I’ve shared this fact in previous postings.)

And please note that Republicans voted repeatedly - right along with Democrats - to raise the debt limit while the irresponsible Trump “spend and borrow” Republican policies continued to rack up our debt.

HOWEVER, now these same Republicans are ready to plunge us and the world into economic chaos by refusing to pay our bills.

If this happens it will make everything else that Republicans are complaining about seem trivial.

Go figure⁉️ 🤷‍♂️

Putin should get my post card any day now.

“Having a great time in Historic Kyiv - wish you were here!”

We certainly know that’s what he wishes. 😎

Your wrong as usual E Plubus. It starts at county level and goes up. We thevoters can control what goes on in DC. As long as we have free honest elections. Start with purging/cleaning ALL VOTER ROLES NATION WIDE.

E is so right on this, I think I saw on CNN or MSNBC where about 90% of the current debt is Trump's fault, so much higher than what E is so factually pointing out, in fact, Trump has been known to write blank checks to foreign countries fighting in wars that he could have easily stopped before they started. Trump was also known for having his family be involved in businesses with that same country where he pumped billions and billions of tax payers dollars into without having to account for one single cent of it, I know right, unbelievable that Trump would do something like that, he should have been impeached. Trump was also known for selling off our strategic oil reserves to China and other foreign owned business that he had dealings with, and it was Trump that opened up our southern border that is allowing over 7,000 immigrants a day into our beautiful country, which under President Biden is now under complete control. This is why our debt limit needs to be removed, President Biden will not spend our money recklessly, sending our money to foreign countries, spending our money on getting rid of oil, spending money on social awareness programs that encourage our children to become transgender and allowing our children easier and easier access to abortion, how else can we expect our agenda to be accomplished, how else can we lower our debt except by spending trillions and trillions of dollars, after all, that is how I do it in my household, as I go deeper in debt, I keep spending and that makes it all better.

Well said Pluribus. Interestingly Reps say little about deficit spending when they control the White House. In fairness to Mr. Patton he mentioned neither party by name.

I believe that Mr. Patton with his overwhelming knowledge, wisdom, and persuasive ability should begin cleaning house with his own local party first, after all he is now part of their leadership.

His criticism should start at home, he should show his undeniable leadership by clearing out the swamp and bringing back faith and trust of his local party first.

There was no need for a PAC. Who is responsible for the reporting of that PAC at the local level? Have you recovered the $12,000 transferred to the PAC? Who has authority to disperse that money? Are they going to be held accountable for those funds? The list goes on.

Despite what some think state law mandates, they are wrong. Most levels of government deficitly spend, including the state itself. Most levels of government back fill there shortfalls the following year. Government budgets are based on projected revenue, not actual cash on hand. Government officials like to use austere revenue projections so they have the revenue the following year to back fill their previous year budget. There is nothing balanced in most government budgets.

So Mr. Patton cleanup your mess locally first, then maybe some will begin to believe in your immense wisdom and knowledge, then, and only then, will you be able to build a foundation to support your rants.

And for a “mush-minded old man,” I'm doing a pretty good job of putting Putin and the Russian fascists on the run, don’t you think?

And I completed the job of keeping the MAGA fascists here at home from winning the Senate.

Now on to 2024…

Yes, local clean up is absolutely necessary, let's look at democratic run cities like New York, Chicago, Seattle, where they spend billions fixing the homeless problems and they have zero homeless people now, we need to model our state after how well these democrats do it in these cities. Then let's go on to states, like California, just look at how well taxpayers money is being used in that state, they have zero issues, no homelessness, no drugs, no poor, their schools are top notch in the world, the electrical grid and how they handle power is something that countries around the world are trying to copy. Then lets look at the national level, I just heard Pete Buttigieg say last week that it was Trump's fault that train derailed in Ohio where one of the U.S.'s largest environmental disasters is taking place, how could it not be Trump's fault, and now today he said it is the railroad's fault as well as Trump's, definitely isn't the current administrations fault, after all, getting rid of the racist highways is helping all of us. And also at the national level, as a democrat I believe we should be sending trillions, not billions to Ukraine, Ohio doesn't need it, the poor in our own country don't need it, the hungry in our own country don't need it, our schools don't need it, our teachers don't need it. And the best thing I heard over the weekend is our great leader President Biden is going to fund pension plans for the people of Ukraine, heaven knows the elderly in our own country don't need the help, they, along with all the rest of it are doing so great that we don't need anything. All I can say is thank you President Biden, thank you democratic party, without you, none of this would be happening. Thank you.

I just read a whole article on misinformation being spread by the republican party - "American household debt rose $320 billion in 2022, marking one of the highest increases over the past two decades and reaching the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis." "Overall food inflation reached 10.1% last month, considerably exceeding the 6.4% headline inflation rate. The national average price of gasoline is currently $3.39 per gallon, constituting a 42% increase since President Joe Biden assumed office in January 2021, according to data from the Energy Information Administration." - How can any of this be true? President Biden and my democratic friends in congress have all told us how good things are for all of us, how great we have it under their watch, how our savings accounts are growing. I for one can attest to the fact that I have seen nothing but record low prices on everything I buy, food, clothing, electricity, natural gas, and interest rates themselves for the money we borrow is also at record lows thanks to President Biden. Who else isn't see this? This whole article is nothing but lies, how does the media let data like this come out knowing full well it is all false? President Biden himself said last week that gas prices are lower now than when he took office, gas was $1.40 a gallon when the previous administration was in charge, I think I saw it for like $1.10 here in town yesterday, so who is reporting gas at $3.40 a gallon? My electricity is cheaper, heating my home is cheaper, my grocery bill is cheaper, everything, all thanks to President Biden and the democrats in congress. I have been saying all along that once we had democratic control in Washington, our country and the world would all be so much better off, and look at us now.