In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a Congress. - John Adams

Obviously nothing much has changed since the founding of the Republic. What has changed is the obscenely large amounts of our money that Congress is wasting and the lives that they are ending or ruining. In fact our Congress has effectively bankrupted the country. The budget deficit now stands at the staggering sum of $1.46 Trillion.

I know that many will blame President Bush as well for this mess, and it is well deserved. In fact the Republican Party was held accountable by the American People in 2006 and 2008, and power was transferred to the Democratic Party. Unfortunately, they have read it as a mandate to spend even more. They will be held accountable in 2010.

The World is also delighting in our problems. Many are writing about the rise of the Chinese power and of new economic centers of power. That may be true, sometime in the future. However, keep in mind that it was the American consumer and the American power that made it possible for the World to catch up.

Our economic success provided the capital to build every other economy in the world. Our military provides the security that allows world trade.

Think about it, it is not the United Nations making the waters off Somalia safe, it is the United States Navy. Terrorism is under control because of the United States Military has hunted down and jailed or killed 90% of Al Qaida's leadership. We pay the Jordanians and Egyptians annually to not kill Israeli's and we pay for the Israeli military and settlements through foreign aid.

It is American grain, money, and transport that keep the world's famine victims alive. Europe is free because of the United States Military. They have become an economic competitor because we spend our money and lives to defend Europe. NATO is the United States with help from Canada and Britain. The rest of Europe is useless.

So my recommendation to the President and Congress to close the debt and regain our competitiveness in the World market is as follows:

1. Let the rest of the world fund the UN, we will pay 1/156 of the budget, our fair share. 2. Let the rest of the World defend itself. Europe, Japan, Korea, and the rest of the world can protect themselves. We will fight where it is in our national interest only. That will allow us to bring home the troops from Japan, Korea, Europe, and Africa.

3. Foreign aid is now shut off. It has only resulted in the World resenting us. We will sell discounted food or trade food for raw materials, no more free lunch.

4. Finally, until Congress balances the books all Senators, Congressmen, Cabinet Secretaries, executive staff, and the President will have a salary of $1 per annum. After all they set the precedent with the car companies and banks. Pay them what they are worth.

Tom Leahy is a Gilmer resident and a district sales manager for a specialty chemical company temporarily assigned to Japan. He is a 1975 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1975 to 1981.