Letter To The Editor
Author: Thomas A. Budewitz
Article Published: 07/03/2026 Volume: 4 Edition: 52Dear Editor,
No one likes to pay taxes, not even Democrats like me. But we understand that taxes are the cost of living in our great country. While we can debate the need or wisdom of some government programs and expenses, there are certain things we ought to agree are neither necessary nor wise. And they add up to a lot of money. Back when Republican presidents and lawmakers cared about taxpayer money, the late Senator Everett Dirksen (R-Illinois) once said: “A million here, a million there, pretty soon you have real money.”
Lets start with the ballroom. It was $200M, then $300M, all donated money. It is now $600M and he wants us to pay half.
Then the reflecting pool. First, he knew a guy who could do it for “a couple million.” Its now $14.7M on a no bid contract with a Trump donor because it was an “emergency”. And it turned green with algae, maybe in sympathy for our money.
And the triumphant arch. The estimated cost is over $100M, mostly taxpayer money.
I saw this week that he is gilding four horse statues near the Lincoln Memorial in another no bid contract for $5M.
Then we get to the big stuff. While he complains about the “pallets of cash” Iran received from its own frozen assets in the Obama agreement, his new “deal” with Iran will give them back more of their money, withdraw sanctions on their oil, and give them $300B. And although one of his stated goals was to eliminate their missile capability, he says now it would be unfair to deprive them of their missiles since everyone else in the Middle East has them. Such a deal!
And I haven’t mentioned the cost of the war.
A million here, a million there...
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Budewitz
Townsend
