Letter to the Editor

Borrowing too much money

My notice from Social Security stated: "Good News! President Obama signed a one-time payment of $250 to social security and supplemental security income beneficiaries." In the past, we were able to buy a vote with a beer, hamburger and a ride to the polls. Now our president sends $250 to 55 million residents borrowed from our great-grandchildren, using a fund that is already bankrupt.

I was born in the 1920s and started working for a large oil company in the 1940s. I still have a full-time job and have been paying into the Social Security and Medicare program for many years. When our president and Congress are borrowing 50 cents of every dollar we are spending, I strongly disagree. Add it all together and we are borrowing more money than the combined total of all presidents from George Washington to George Bush. The dollar is recently showing weakness against other major world currencies. Borrowing our way to prosperity is highly improbable.

The United States has survived the Great Depression and several tough recessions in the last 70 years without taking control of many of our major corporations. We are moving away from our highly successful capitalistic system, which has given us the highest standard of living on Earth.

GLENN REEVES, Cape Girardeau