Says Connolly’s ‘We’re OK’ View of Economy Flawed

Editor,

How exactly can Rep. Gerry Connolly justify his claim that a reduction in the federal defense budget won’t have a negative impact on the economy of Northern Virginia?

The only reason that the D.C. area has so many contractors focused on the development of high-tech infrastructure, robotics, and information technology is because of the massive amounts of defense contracting in the area.

The claim that defense cutbacks will serve to only further vitalize the contractor-oriented economy of Northern Virginia is pure folly, as defense contracting will with almost absolute certainty be one of the first parts of the defense budget to be cut.

Lastly, while it is true that ‘investment in research and development’ is of a high priority for defense spending, it is unlikely that Congress as a whole will see the matter in the same way.

Daniel Butkiewicz

Falls Church

Says It’s Time For Conservative Common Sense

Editor,

The weekly rant of Nicholas Benton against the tea party – and I am not a “member” and have never attended a tea party rally – reached a new high, or low, last week. Of course, while he can point to specific projects under FDR that remain monuments to that era, in truth, big spending at the federal level in the 1930s did not end the Great Depression. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result, our current president tried with his huge spending binge to end the Great Recession. It failed too, by any measure. Ask the over nine percent unemployed.

It is time for some common sense conservative fiscal principles to rule our government, as they rule our families’ budgets.

Dave Phelps

Falls Church

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