I’m a little confused by Terry Plumb’s Jan. 13 column on the national debt. Being a product of the 1950s-’60s education system in Great Falls, I realize I’m nowhere near as smart as Terry is. Case in point: I voted for Mitt Romney while he and The Herald were gushing for the re-election of President Barack Obama.

In the fourth paragraph of his column, he stated the so-called “debt ceiling” is another example of politicians pandering to their right-wing base. In my inferior education, I was taught that Congress was composed of two political parties, which, over the years, has resulted in a left-leaning party – the Democrats – and a right-leaning party – the Republicans.

Terry seems to think that the only party standing in the way of fiscal responsibility is the right-leaning group. The “debt ceiling” is the sole responsibility of those right-wing nuts, i.e., the GOP, the same group that caved in on the tax increases that President Obama demanded. The same Obama who said that no one making less than $250,000 would see a tax increase.

At the same time, he wanted the payroll tax to revert to the old rates. So, the cook at McDonald’s, the clerk at Walmart and Donald Trump saw their taxes go up. They'll see less money in their check every week.

In my ignorance, I feel both parties are responsible for the fiscal nightmare we are facing. Being a simple man, let me ask a simple question. If I took my two grandchildren to Burns car dealership, bought their most expensive Cadillac and told them to bill the children for the car when they became of working age, do you think I'd get the car?

No! They would throw me out.

President Obama, the House and the Senate are doing this very thing. They are spending $1 trillion a year over our tax receipts. We owe $16 trillion and are still spending like a drunken sailor.

I do not have a degree on my wall. I have worked in blue collar jobs for my working life. I don’t claim to have all the answers, yet I know, for a fact, that if this government continues spend trillions of dollars more than we take in, we will go broke! And soon!

It is not a Democratic problem or a GOP problem. It is a national problem.

Terry should quit trying to score political points for his preferred party and think about the future of all Americans. Then use the bully pulpit he has at the paper and do something constructive for my grandchildren by demanding responsible actions from everyone in Washington.

Tal Payne

Great Falls