There is so much that I do not understand about our government shut down. I am a Republican although I don’t believe that should matter much at our small town level of government. I am a fiscal conservative.

I run a business and the numbers have to add up. You can’t spend more money than is coming into your home or business for very long in the real world.

When Obama came into office, the national debt was 10.6 trillion dollars. It is now 16.7 trillion dollars. That is up 57% so far doing his presidency.

I understand that Democrats believe more in social programs and feel that Republicans care only about cutting taxes for the rich but what we should all be concerned about is the mortgaging of our country and our children’s future.

We cannot keep borrowing one trillion plus dollars per year. Our debt is now $50,000 for every man woman and child in the United States.

Hard choices lay ahead for all of us be it military spending cuts, reducing entitlements, reducing the size of government, reducing foreign aid, raising taxes or all the above.

Sixty-five percent of those polled support raising the debt ceiling.

This has to stop and it is going to be very hard for all of us and our economy to live within our means but it only gets more difficult the more we continue to add to our national debt.

Parker Snead 

Supervisor Candidate

Town of Forestport