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More news of government "cost cutting" and other actions arrives daily.
Cuts are made without regard to impact. I support stewardship of taxpayer money and holding my government responsible for eliminating waste.
But any farmer knows that healthy plants need careful pruning, not "chainsaw" tactics.
Dismissing veterans from civil service jobs, curtailing veterans' services, eliminating Veterans' Affairs offices, are dishonorable.
Indiscriminately cutting employees from the Department of Education, or eliminating that department entirely, does not serve quality education, especially for those with special challenges or those in districts with low tax bases.
Reneging on payments to companies who have already completed work is a disdainful business practice, reflecting poorly on our country's trustworthiness. And withholding money from Penn State based on actions legal in 2022 is against any measure of fairness.
Respect for all our citizens, especially those who served honorably in the military, is being trampled. Eliminating women, Blacks and others from military history or command positions is futile.
Dating back to the Revolutionary War, women, Blacks and Native Americans have always played significant roles in our military.
And Social Security. This program is a lifeline for millions who paid into it for years and now depend on these benefits to survive. To hear the richest person in the world refer to Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme" as he guts the program is heart wrenching.
At 77, I have been paying into Social Security since my first job as a teenager. We have earned these benefits. Social Security fraud allegations have not been substantiated.
Common decency and mutual respect are being ignored.
Our elected representatives must focus on the rule of law, a society where the balance of power is upheld, and "liberty and justice for all" again becomes bedrock.
Karen Watt
Altoona