Democratic Party Ninth District Jeannie Babb Taylor

Are you concerned about our economy, like I am? Perhaps you would like to see fiscal conservatives in the White House and Congress. That's why we need to elect Democrats. The last president to balance the budget was a Democrat. The last president to preside over a budget surplus was a Democrat. Republicans have not so much as broken even since the Nixon era. In fact, President Clinton left office in 2001 with a $127 billion surplus. By 2005, President Bush had burned through that extra money and accumulated a $319 billion deficit.

After another term of Bush, the DEBT has spiraled to $9,413 trillion at the time of the writing of this article. The DEBT will be higher when you actually read this piece, since it is increasing by $1.7 billion per day. In case you're wondering what this means to you, your personal share of the DEBT is $31,001.26 and rising.

Sure, Republicans will cut funding in the name of tax relief. They cut school lunch programs, health programs, and help for the elderly. They cut school funds to help special needs kids - both gifted and learning delayed. Federal and state cuts mean that individual school districts must raise property taxes, suspend programs, or lay off teachers. Look around you and notice that they are doing all of the above just to make ends meet and stay solvent.

Republicans like to call Democrats "tax and spend." In reality, it is Republicans who tax and spend - but they cut important programs while doing so. They spend everything in the budget and more, then use the budget as an excuse to hurt the helpless. After your child's special needs teacher is let go, do you think you will receive a tax refund based on her lay-off? Hardly. That money is needed for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The war against Iraq costs Americans some $275 million per day. According to the New York Times, the $1.2 trillion (that's over a million millions) spent on Iraq up through January is enough money to fund the following U.S. improvements: An unprecedented public health campaign that doubles cancer research funding, treats every unmanaged diabetic and heart disease patient, and saves millions of lives through global immunization. In ten years, this program would only use half the money. We could also fund a preschool program for every 3- and 4-year-old in the country, and give New Orleans a gigantic reconstruction boost. The rest of the money could be spent improving national security by implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, which Bush chooses to ignore. We would still have money to finance the war in Afghanistan to hold back the Taliban, and fund a peacekeeping force to stop genocide in Darfur.

Are you concerned about security in a time of war? That's why we need to elect Democrats. Let's look at security on a local level. Notice that the sheriffs of Whitfield, Walker,White, Union, Fannin, Dade , Murray, Gordon and Catoosa counties are all Democrats, and all known for their ability to keep order and provide safety. Nationally, the same is true. It was a Democratic president who won World War I. It was a Democratic president who won World War II. What exactly is the Republican war legacy? Vietnam? Korea? Afghanistan and Iraq? Republicans do not even declare war properly. They surely don't know how to declare peace.

Democratic leaders are our best hope for a brighter future.

Jeannie Babb Taylor is a business leader and freelance writer. She lives in Ringgold, Georgia with her husband and five children. In her spare time, she writes historical novels. Visit Jeannie's blog at www.JeannieBabbTaylor.com, or send an email to jeannie@babb.com.