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I want to voice my disappointment with the budget cuts that were part of the deal to lift the debt ceiling. I agree that we need to do something about our nation's debt. However I believe that increased revenue needs to be part of a balanced solution. The cuts unfairly hit the poor and middle class and leave the wealthy untouched. Oil companies continue to receive government subsidies while they make billions.

Corporations are thriving and sitting on record amounts of cash. Still the far right politicians refused to close tax loopholes for corporations. Effective corporate tax rates are at a 50-year low. It seems to me the far right politicians are out of touch with the American people, out of touch with most economists, and out of touch with Biblical principles of justice for the poor. I blame them for the lowering of our nation's credit rating and the resulting panic in the markets. Their refusal to compromise brought our nation to the brink of default. It was the same story in our state of Minnesota. Again, the far right refused to compromise and caused the shut down. Even when Governor Dayton took tax increases for millionaires off the table, they still refused to compromise.[[In-content Ad]]They seem to be enslaved to their ideology of no new taxes for the wealthy and cutting programs that benefit the poor, children, and the elderly. And on the national level they care more about stopping President Obama than doing what is best for the common good. I am not only disappointed but very upset at the tactics of the extremists within the Republican Party.

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