My comments are in response to a recent letter to the editor by a Republican committeeman.

His letter included the words “tax-and-spend Democrats” and “The downside to this is that our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren get to pay off the resulting deficits for the rest of their lives.”

Our government’s spending and the resulting deficit was the No. 1 issue in determining who I voted for in November. Here are some facts.

While Bush was president, our country’s deficit doubled to more than $10 trillion. This does not include the recent money spent for bailouts. This deficit spending was approved by Congress when it was controlled by Republicans from 2001 to 2007.

When Clinton was president, there were budget surpluses during four years. The Republican-controlled Congress deserves some credit for these surplus budgets. However, when the Republicans controlled the White House and Congress beginning in 2001, deficit spending got out of control. The amount of spending during the past eight years is shameful. The U.S. government borrowed over $1 trillion from China. Our children will be paying interest on this deficit throughout their lifetime.

If the U.S. government is going to spend huge amounts of money, the following two issues should be in the forefront.

• The expenditures should be for the general well-being of all Americans. This includes improving the infrastructure of our country and providing each person with an opportunity to earn a respectable living.

• Our generation should pay our share for the benefits we are enjoying. Do not make our children pay for our good life.

Carl Philips

Crestwood