Mishandled money is appalling

To the editor:I was outraged as well as appalled by the announcement by our government that it cannot account for $4 billion cash in $100 bills it sent to Iraq in the early phases of the Iraq war. No one seems to know what happened to the money. I think every taxpayer should be outraged by the shameless incompetence as well as crass negligence of authorities who were entrusted with this huge amount of money that belonged to the honest and hard-working taxpayers. I can only imagine how many other appalling examples of corruption and incompetence could be found if only the government has the moral courage to face it. A government that handles the sacred trust people place in it so carelessly while it expects honest taxpayers to keep account of every penny they earn and spend should be soundly condemned by all honest taxpayers. The Bush administration should hang its head in shame for betraying the confidence we placed in it. I feel ashamed of myself for voting for him during the last election.

K.P.S. KAMATH, Cape Girardeau