Well hooray! The fiscal cliff has been avoided -- for the time being anyway. The bill passed by Congress demonstrated just how completely the Republicans are out of their league. Obama had them beat coming and going. He got everything he wanted, even a $4 trillion increase in spending -- while the Republicans got no spending cuts -- nothing, zip, nada. No wonder Obama did a celebratory dance and spiked the football.

For a mid-70s senior citizen, this is great news -- no increase in my taxes, Social Security and Medicare are untouched -- life is good! If we continue to incur trillion dollar deficits for the foreseeable future -- so what! We are the USA and that means that we can continue to run-up our debt forever -- there will always be another sucker out there to loan us the money -- even our own Federal Reserve is buying up our debt -- and printing money to pay for it. By the time this scheme blows-up, I will probably no longer be here -- so it's not my problem.

However, you young people out there, oblivious as you are, are going to suffer the consequences. Fewer jobs, slower economy, higher taxes (you don't really think the rich are going to pay for everything -- do you?) and eventually a bankrupt country. In the mean time, keep voting for the same old tired, spend, spend, spend politicians. That will get me through to the end of my days -- as for you ..... good luck!

Jerry Clemons

Bellingham