$125 BILLION IN IMPROPER PAYMENTS

Mr. Obama, I am now convinced that you have gone completely over the edge with your 2012 budget proposal. A big part of your plan to reduce our crushing deficit is to raise taxes. I know it's so you can spend more, you know, the more you have, the more you will spend, but don't you understand that raising taxes removes spendable money from the economy?? If Americans have to pay the government, they have less to spend on things such as food and outrageously priced gas.

Furthermore, if you would just get rid of the fraud, waste and abuse in the budget you wouldn't have to raise taxes.

I am guessing that you are having meetings with advisors in your administration so you must have heard about the $125 billion in improper payments that the GAO listed in their report last week. Or maybe you are so busy meeting and greeting union heads and Earth Day supporters that you don't have time to meet with your cabinet heads.

So in case no one in the White House has told you yet, here is the information that you should be paying attention to:

2009 - federal agencies reported improper payments of $109.2 billion
2010 - federal agencies reported improper payments of $125.4 billion

Both of these years are on your watch, Mr. O.

The GAO defines improper payments as "over payments, underpayments, fraud, and payments that were not property documented." The $125 billion improperly spent was in 70 different programs encompassing 20 federal agencies. Here are the top "wasters" in Washington.

1. Medicare (Health and Human Services Dept.) 34.3 billion
2. Medicaid (Health and Human Services Dept.) 22.5 billion
3. Unemployment Insurance (Labor Dept.) 17.5 billion
4. Earned Income Tax Credit (Treasury Dept.) 16.9 billion
5. Medicare Advance (HHS again) 13.6 billion
6. SSI (Social Security Admin) 4.8 billion
7. Old Age Survivors' And Disability Ins. (Social Security) 3.2 billion
8. Nutrition Assistance (Agriculture Dept.) 2.2 billion
9. National School Lunch (Agriculture Dept.) 1.5 billion
10. Pell Grants (Education Dept.) 1.0 billion

Looks like no department has a monopoly on inefficiency, Mr. O. The reasons listed for the over payments range from medically unnecessary services, insufficient documentation, complexity of laws, unscrupulous claimants, fraud, data transfer errors, payment calculation errors, inadequate verification of information, over payments, non-verification of claimants eligibility, incorrect computation of benefits, and other reasons.

And now I am confused, Mr. O. I do believe you campaigned on the idea that you were going to go to Washington and clean it up, no more "business as usual," you were going to bring "change you can believe in." You were going to root out waste, abuse, fraud, and you even said you would cut our deficit in half within the first two years of being in office.

So why haven't you done what you promised? Were they just empty words? Empty promises? Were you promising anything just to win? I believe so, as you've already begun the political rhetoric and hype for 2012. And every time you open your mouth I am reminded that I cannot believe a word you say.

I genuinely pray that the Americans who voted for you last time remember that your promises mean nothing. They are going to hear the same drivel for the next two years. I just hope that they see the light before Nov. 2012.

IRAQ SURPLUSES SWELL AS U.S. DEBT SOARS

It's 2003 and the U.S. invades Iraq and ousts Saddam Hussein. A heinous madman has been deposed, and Iraqis have a chance at freedom. Thanks to the U.S. and our military.

So what has this war cost us? Well, Folks, these are the facts.

Since 2003 the U.S. has infused more than half a trillion dollars into Iraq.

From 2004-2009 Iraq amassed a surplus of $52.1 billion, with over 92% of its revenues coming from oil exports, some of which WE import and pay Iraq for. During that same period overall U.S. debt soared as we ran huge deficits in every one of those years.

The U.S. has spent $624 billion in Iraq helping the Iraqis set up a democratic government. Sounds humanitarian, doesn't it? And wouldn't you think that since Iraq has a huge budget surplus they'd be PAYING us for our help? Or at least providing us with oil free of charge?

But not so. On July 29 the U. S. Congress approved an additional $1 billion in "emergency" aid to the Iraqi government, and Obama is seeking yet another $2 billion in his fiscal 2011 budget, as reported by CNS News.

Our Government Accountability Office (GAO) has disclosed that the Iraqi government holds as much as $32.2 billion in cash on deposit at banks and financial institutions. The GAO stated in its audit report that "Congress should consider Iraq's available financial resources when it reviews the administration's fiscal 2011 budget request and future budget requests for additional funds to train and equip Iraqi security forces."

That sure makes sense, doesn't it? They have the money so why can't they COVER OUR COSTS or even PAY US TO BE THERE? Or send us home? Instead we are supporting billionaires while we are going bankrupt.

According to the CBO, the U. S. budget deficit exceeded $1.3 trillion for fiscal 2010, the second greatest deficit as a percent of GDP since WWII. The greatest deficit ever? 2009's $1.4 trillion.

Whether you believe we should have gone to Iraq or not, Obama's election promise was to end the war in Iraq and stop the bleeding of our resources. So far all he's done is ask for MORE money, and he's changed the verbiage of our mission there, going from "military mission" to "non-combat mission." But ask troops who are still there if their "mission" has changed.

Obama must think Americans are thick minded. That's a mistake he will regret in November.

And just so you know, I gripped at Bush about this situation also. Bush did the same thing, continued to spend money in Iraq while they gathered up a huge surplus. Both administrations are at fault. But Obama SAID he'd end it, and he hasn't. Bush never promised to end it.