Tax and spend is bipartisan

The tea party was formed near the end of the George W. Bush administration because many Republicans felt federal spending was excessive. They felt the Republican Party had strayed from its roots and they cited the Iraq War, Medicare Part D and the bank bailouts as examples. Now, on a local level, county Republicans propose higher taxes and big spending. My point is, when it comes to spending, there's not much difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. Democrats have been unfairly labeled as the tax-and-spend party.

I'm not knocking Medicare Part D or the need for a new courthouse. (I do think the Iraq War was the biggest foreign relations debacle in American history.) I'm just saying that tax and spend is a common political practice and not limited to one party.

For those who truly want less government spending with lower taxes and smaller government, you'll have to look outside the mainstream parties and consider the Tea Party or the Libertarian Party.

However, if you want the best of all worlds, reasonable taxes, prudent spending, blue birds and apple pie, turn to the democrats. Amen.

GARY L. GAINES, Cape Girardeau