Letters

Democrats appear oblivious to a national debt challenge that has become too serious to ignore. The COVID epidemic triggered massive relief spending, and then the Biden administration added trillions more, supposedly for infrastructure and inflation reduction, that turned out to be buckets of borrowed money used poorly.

We have developed spending habits that we can no longer afford. The Trump approach at first hoped to find obvious waste, fraud and abuse, but DOGE, unfortunately, could not cure our spending problem alone.

Republicans currently find themselves alone in slowing the runaway expansion of government and our national debt. Their approach is to spur economic growth through deregulation and tax relief, successful in Trump 45. A bigger economy will create more tax revenue.

For nonmillionaires, the recently passed budget bill will eliminate taxes on most tips, Social Security, and, in New York, finally raise our SALT deduction. Congressman Nick LaLota stuck his neck out to get it. I know I appreciate it and so will many other Long Island nonmillionaire families.

But the spending side of the impending debt bomb is still a problem. The government spends most of its money on Medicaid, Social Security and the national defense. These are essential. Yet, like any household that is running out of money, hard choices need to be made. Choices that can hurt a little or a lot.

Defense spending should be scrutinized. Huge sums are spent on technology and weapons systems. Our military might, at one time, was capable of providing an umbrella to the free world. Today, we are forced to prepare for a conflict with China, a rogue Russia and a belligerent Iran. The European Union and the free world finally recognize our financial limitations in projecting power and are racing to meet their own defense requirements.

Social Security is a promise to our seniors that has future funding issues. Hopefully, it is safe for now, but Medicaid spending has become the budget-buster that must be reined in.

In the last three to four years under the Biden Democrats, Medicaid has grown by 50 percent and is on an unsustainable path. The undocumented and newly added clients created by Democrat bureaucrats are the problem. It’s not a bunch of new Republicans who signed up. Democrats are good at handing out government largess while spending other people’s money. Migrants are now enjoying benefits intended for and paid for by American taxpayers.

In the new budget, Medicaid will not be getting less money but will not be permitted to expand as fast as it has. Democrats will use the suffering, because finger pointing is what they are good at — leadership is not.

Democrats sat out deficit discussions. Trump derangement is not leadership.

Ed Surgan

Westhampton