Can we afford to send Lisa Brown to Congress?

To the Editor:

Lisa Brown is your typical left-wing politician out trying to buy votes with our money by promising to vote against cuts in Medicare and Social Security benefits. As an economist she knows, but fails to mention, these programs are unsustainable without sizable infusions of tax dollars, benefit reductions, or both. These programs now account for nearly $2 trillion or half of the $4.1 trillion federal budget. Medicaid spending alone has skyrocketed since 2010 when ObamaCare passed, going from $273 billion to $383 billion this year. Medicaid has added 14 million people since 2010 and with coverage being expanded to cover people over the poverty line, the total is over 67 million and growing daily. Despite hitting us taxpayers for a record $3.3 trillion in tax revenue this year, the federal government is estimated to have to borrow $800 billion to cover these out of control programs. With the Federal debt over $21 trillion ($176,000 for each taxpayer) what is Lisa Brown’s answer to this fiscal insanity? Politics as usual! Add more people to the social welfare programs, make more promises, get elected, and then tax more, spend more and borrow more.

We can’t afford to send Lisa Brown to Congress.

Steve Dunham

Spokane