Letter: Our problems didn’t start with Bush

Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007 | 6:54 a.m.

Letter writer Larry Burgess ("Bush tenure has been an unmitigated disaster," Nov. 10) seems to think history and all our national problems started with the presidency of George W. Bush. He whines about "our national infrastructure in need of repair" and somehow blames President Bush for it.

Yes, the day Bush took office all the bridges started to crumble. Burgess, like so many others, ignores the fact that states and local governments get billions every year in federal highway funds to repair bridges and instead spend the money on other things.

Burgess even cites the bridge in Minnesota yet ignores that: (1) the state government of Minnesota is and was responsible for the maintenance of the bridge and (2) it has received millions in federal funds to repair the bridge but decided to spend the money on other things. Yes, it's all G.W.'s fault.

The letter writer also mentions 47 million uninsured. G.W. never ran on fixing the uninsured problem. G.W. never promised to provide health care to everyone.

Funny, I remember the last Democratic president promising to fix that problem. Why was it left for Bush to deal with? For two years President Clinton had Democratic control of the House and Senate and failed to accomplish his No. 1 campaign promise. Yet somehow it's G.W.'s fault that 47 million are uninsured. Mr. Burgess and so many other liberals need to stop hating and start thinking.

Jorge Ralat, Las Vegas