Mighty buck

Dear Editor:Thanks to The Downey Patriot for printing "Progressives" (Letter to the Editor, 8/29/13). It's one of the best and most enlightening letters I've read. I just finished reading "Congress and Syria" by Lee Hamilton (9/12/13) and feel he had a few good points but missed the primary reason our country is in a free-fall: our top government officials feel there is no reason to be truthful, but rather tell us lies and are deceitful, add to that they really don't care if their vote should benefit the citizens, but to "feather their own nest." One promise that President Obama did fulfill - "I'm going to transform this country" - and he has done a lot to reach his goal. A few facts: we are approaching a $17 trillion debt (everyone in the U.S. now owes about $55,000 - ready to make out your check?). There are 90 million adults not working but fear not, we have food stamps, subsidized housing, earned income tax credit, free cell phones for the poor, welfare, free breakfast and lunches for school children, unemployment insurance, free support for women with children. Now, regarding honesty. The president, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and national security advisor Susan Rice deliberately lied to us about Benghazi, and the punishment? None for the president, Hillary is planning to run for president and Susan Rice was promoted. Then there are the sleazy lies of the IRS regarding not giving tax exemptions to the Tea Party and other conservative groups. Lois Learner of the IRS took the 5th Amendment and hasn't worked since but so far has received $56,000 in salary for doing nothing. Janet Napolitano, former head of Homeland Security, is being sued by ICE because they say her ruling prevents them from doing their job. Heard the other day they cross the border in droves and say they are being persecuted. So they are put in hotels awaiting their hearing but somehow disappear before the hearing. Then there's Eric Holder - where do I start? Our dear Attorney General wouldn't arrest the New Black Panther Party members who harassed people at a voting booth, yet sues Arizona and Texas for enforcing the border laws and for making a law that voters would have to show an ID. He still can't find out which drug cartel got the guns to kill one of our border patrol agents. Speaking of fundamental change, try this on for size: Obamacare. Affordable health care but for whom? The Democrats voted this bill in, not knowing or caring what was in it, then most lied and said they had read the bill. If they did, it was after they voted for it. President Obama told us, "It won't cost you a dime," "You can keep your health care provider and your own doctor." (Two more lies.) It was an eye-opener to hear Richard Trumka say, "When we wrote this bill we made some mistakes, now we need to correct them." Does it excite you to know that NSA is now recording your phone calls and email or that we have paid for a huge storage space in Utah seven times the size of the Pentagon? The Republicans won't stop funding Obamacare as that might close down the government because they're afraid they will lose the next election. This shows that our country now is so addicted to government giveaways that they will sacrifice what is good for us for some government check. What's missing in this country is honesty and integrity. The mighty buck has won out but we can't exist forever on politicians buying votes. Elsa Van Leuven Downey

********** Published: Sept. 26, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 24