While we sit by and watch our retirement plans decrease in avalanche-like falls in value, our Congress, especially the Senate, sits by and shakes its congressional head and “tsk, tsks, oh, what a shame” as AIG officials take a spa junket on money given to them by that head shaking Congress, who then have the audacity to give them some more money.

They say, “oh, what can we do?” And, I say, “We?” We, the American taxpayers, had nothing at all to do with giving them and many others bail-out money. Congress did that all by itself, so why doesn’t it do something about the obvious, and not-so-obvious mis-management of that money? Good question, and no answers forthcoming from our verbally nimble Congress.

But, as American voters, we should vote them all out of office since they are incompetent at almost everything they do. We should demand term limits be established so dynasty-like politicians can’t continue to corrupt our government and take advantage of us by voting to take even more money from us before we’ve even earned it.

This same Congress passed the “economic stimulus package — tax refund” and sent cash to many taxpayers and to many more non-tax-payers. People who are on welfare or get other government subsidies actually received more “stimulation” than my family did, and we’ve always paid taxes.

And, before they go, since our deficit is growing and nobody bats an eye when it comes to bailing out a bunch of insider Fannie Mae’s, Freddie Mac’s, or AIG’s they can go ahead and replace my hard-earned money in my retirement account.

This whole situation is shameful, and Americans should put the blame squarely where it belongs — on a broken and corrupt Congress, the only branch of government entitled to make laws and collect our hard earned money.

Catherine Paxton

Arlington, WA