To the Editor:

I don't begrudge our government spending big money on things some people might think of as frivolous. I think that every president and his immediate family are entitled to Secret Service protection for the remainder of that president's life (it was changed from lifetime protection to 10 years after leaving office under President Clinton).

I think Air Force One and it's luxuries are necessary. I even think that it's OK for a congressman to expense a lunch or two. Some of these things come with being the greatest nation in history. What I find absolutely intolerable, however, is the complete financial mismanagement that has gone on far too long.

How did it ever get this bad? How could we ever let it? Shame on all of us that we didn't rein this thing in when we started running budget deficits at the get go. We gave ourselves, and much of the rest of the world, a free ride for the better part of the last half of the twentieth century and beyond.

And it's only going to get worse. I saw some numbers that this big budget deal worked out recently is equivalent to a family of four shaving about $500 off its annual budget. You mean that's the best we can do?

It's time to start making some difficult choices. Hard choices. Necessary choices. If the people representing us in Washington aren't getting the job done isn't it our responsibility to get someone in there that can? Is that not the obligation of a republic such as ours?

I hate to think of what a financial disaster my children are going to inherit. What a disappointing legacy. Guess I should start doing something about it. Maybe we all should.

Eric J. Stoner

Seville