The Herald has recently published a number of letters from very depressed citizens bemoaning the results of the recent election. I understand their emotions - no one likes to lose - but I can't understand the logic of their position. Let's consider a few issues. Budget: No matter who is in charge, we need to face our growing deficits or our creditors will make us do so on their terms. The math is straightforward -we need spending cuts and revenue increases - neither one alone will solve the problem. Military: We currently spend more than the next 20 countries combined on national defense - this would seem like over-kill (pardon the pun) and given that we are backing out of two wars that have cost us $3.2 trillion over the last 10 years, perhaps some cost savings can be expected. Immigration: With the growing government obligations to the elderly under Social Security and Medicare some reform of these programs is mandatory, but let's not lose sight of who pays for these programs - the current workforce. Why would a nation of immigrants not want to figure out how to integrate some significant portion of the 11 million illegal residents into the system so that they apply their earning power to our collective financial advantage. The Republicans have stonewalled all these changes so why would the letter writers feel more comfortable being led by them?

Dave Kleiber

Ferndale