Clear why Washington is upside down

After reading Congressman Grijalva's budget concerns last week, it's easy to see why things are upside down in Washington. It's not just the Democrats without a clue, it's also the Republicans who can't figure it out. The left always has their talking points and the right follows with theirs and nothing gets done.

The first three places I would cut the budget are the EPA, Energy Department and Education, as they mostly mirror what the states are already doing.

First there would be a hiring freeze that would stay in place until the last employee leaves or retires. As each building is emptied you sell it. There would also be an instant 25 percent reduction in their operating budget and the budget would shrink as the number of employees goes down.

I'm also really getting tired of congressmen/women and senators being called public servants. With their pay and benefits, it's a joke to think they are giving something up for the good of the country.

Both parties are so afraid the other side might come up with a good idea that they just keep their constant bickering and out of touch talking points going.

Another phrase they can ditch is being called honorable, as this term fits very few of them. When you think about what little they accomplish, it brings a whole new meaning to the term of waste, fraud and abuse. With their approval ratings being in single digits, it's really hard to grasp how they keep getting re-elected. One other thing to think about is doing away with the 17th Amendment and go back to the states appointing their senators so that they truly represent the states' best interest. The way it is now, six years is way too long for a rotten apple to stay in the barrel.

Jim Thrall
Yuma