Letter: Republicans are at the root of budget failures

Friday, April 12, 2002 | 3:54 a.m.

This is in response to David Broder's April 8 column, "Democrats fail to offer alternative on budget." The Democrats did offer an alternative on the budget. A good one! They thoroughly discussed it in the campaign of 2000, for those who cared to listen. They advocated maintaining a surplus, reducing the national debt and continuing a policy of a balanced budget.

It was the Republicans who denounced this sensible approach, advocating instead a policy of tax cuts and depletion of the national surplus. In September we had an emergency, but found we had spent all of our savings. Now we are without surplus and in need of additional funds to fight terrorism. The promised stimulus from the tax cuts did not occur. Congress and the president face a budget that is out of balance and have nowhere to look but to increase the nation's debt.

Republicans dug their own grave on the budget. They pushed it over the objections of Democrats, by using the power of their majority in Congress and a Republican in the White House to sign it into law. It is unfair to expect the Democrats to develop an alternative at this point. A Democratic majority in Congress next year and a Democrat in the White House in 2004 is what they have in mind as the best alternative. I agree.

TED HALL