Letter: Government spending hitting new heights

Friday, June 7, 2002 | 10:28 a.m.

An April story in the Washington Post was headlined "2003 Budget Completes Big Jump in Spending." The Post found that, "according to a detailed analysis of government spending patterns ... the Bush administration is poised to complete the biggest increase in government spending since the 1960's 'Great Society.' "

Does anybody still believe that Republicans are the party of smaller government? Smaller than what? Maybe a teensy-weensy bit smaller than the Democrats. But, at the national level, the two parties are Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

And it ain't easy to spend $2,130,000,000,000 a year -- it takes lots of hands. Putting plastic in many of those hands speeds the process. A recent review by the Interior Department found that almost three-quarters of its 79,000 employees have government credit cards. Abuses uncovered included cardholders paying personal rent, utilities, jewelry, car repair, and drawing cash at a casino. Government-wide, 398,000 employees have active credit cards, some with "limits" of $25,000 a month; two could charge $300,000 a month!

Are we cash-strapped and overtaxed working stiffs going to take this lying down? Maybe we should let Democrat Congresswoman Shelley Berkley and Republican Congressman Jim Gibbons know about that.

CHARLES A. DELZOTTI