To the editor:

I retired a year ago, confident that our savings would be enough for the years ahead. But since last summer with groceries, and now with gas prices, I find myself considering part-time work. It’s not what our family planned, but how much higher can these prices go? Strangers share similar stories while filling up their vehicles: Everyone’s feeling stretched thin, and our government doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it.

Washington politicians love to talk tough about war, but it’s regular Americans who pay for it at the pump. Why aren’t our elected officials addressing the economic burden that’s being placed on everyday people while this war of choice goes on without any clear exit strategy?

Foreign policy decisions have real consequences here at home. I appreciate Fred Wellman’s candidacy for Congress because, as a veteran, he understands national security firsthand. But he also knows that working families can’t afford endless instability and higher costs.

People in this district want strength and competence, not political theater that leaves us paying more every week just to get around town. At least I’m not having to pay for a work commute — for now anyway.

Toni Harrison

Concord