It's time to lead by example

The president has said and it is being reported by much of the media that the majority of Americans are supportive of the currently debated stimulus bill. I respectfully submit my opposition to this bill. I oppose it for many reasons, but here are just a few:

As has been demonstrated in the banking bailout bill, government is not an effective distributor of money. Tracking appropriate use of the money is poor, and waste is rampant.

A huge portion of the current bill includes spending for items not directly related to stimulating the economy. These are appropriations that should be separated from this bill and debated in separate legislation on its own merit. Legislators should not use this as an opportunity to clear their desks of appropriation legislation that has little or nothing to do with the immediate problem.

This bill is spending money we don't have and creating an insurmountable burden that we will be passing on to future generations. I find this immoral and intolerable. The reason the United States has gotten into this mess is the rampant desire for all of us corporately, governmentally and individually to live above our means. The only way to get out is with fiscal restraint. Balance the budget. Start paying down the debt. The U.S. government should lead by example.

BRANDIS L. KNIGHT, Cape Girardeau