LETTERS: U.S. GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING MORE THAN EVER

To the editor:

The League of Women Voters of Southeast Missouri scheduled a forum for candidates for U.S.. representative from the 8th District for Oct. 25. As a candidate for Congress, I gladly accepted the generous offer for an opportunity to share my positions with the voters.

Unfortunately, our current representative, Jo Ann Emerson, has decided that a forum on the issues wasn't important enough to fit into her schedule and has refused to appear. I am sure there must be important matters happening before the election, such as fund raisers, and an actual discussion of issues is irrelevant since she has a lock on winning the upcoming election anyway.

Here's a dirty little secret: Once the appropriations bills are passed for fiscal 2001, federal government spending will be the highest in the history of the United States. The Republican-controlled Congress, of which our representative is a proud member, is spending money like there is no tomorrow. Gone is the "fiscally responsible" rhetoric, because it was all hot air.

Remember getting rid of the National Endowment for the Arts? For 2001 the NEA been allotted $105 million, which includes a nice fat $7 million increase, courtesy of the Republicans. I guess we needed a few more crucifixes in urine posing as art.

People before politics? How about politics as usual? Big Government is back.

JOHN HENDRICKS

Jackson, Mo.