Keeping Your Word is a Missouri Value
We've all heard the saying, "actions speak louder than words." My family's values - that my parents taught me, and that I taught my children - go even farther. We believe that your actions are your word.
This is a lesson that Washington politicians, who often say one thing and do another, need to learn. And as we celebrate the 4th of July, there is no better time to hold them accountable.
When Congressman Sam Graves first ran for Congress in 2000, he promised to protect the economic gains and budget surpluses of the 1990s. Instead, Graves and his fellow lawmakers on Capitol Hill fell right back into their old habits - spending money they didn't have on pork-barrel projects. Since inheriting a $127 billion surplus in 2000, Graves and President Bush have run a deficit every single year, putting us trillions more in debt. So much for keeping a promise.
It sure is hard to take Congressman Graves seriously when he complains about runaway government spending and waste, since he helped get us into this mess in the first place. He even voted for the $223 million "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska and thousands of other pork-barrel projects. Graves talks tough about fiscal restraint, but his actions tell a different story.
Sam Graves needs to accept responsibility. He likes to say that Washington doesn't have a revenue problem, but a spending problem. In fact, Graves' reckless spending policies have hurt Missouri families. This year, every American household will pay $2,000 just for interest payments on the national debt! It's no wonder that the value of the dollar is at a record low and the cost of gas at a record high.
I taught my children to follow through on their promises and accept responsibility for their failures. Congressman Sam Graves has done neither. We need change now to get our economy back on track. We can't afford more of the same.
Kay Barnes is a candidate for U.S. representative for Missouri's 6th Congressional District
No comments:
Post a Comment