I am fed up with federal-level politicians crying out how important it is for the U.S. government to avoid a default, and how bad the United States will look on the global stage as a result not honoring our debt.

Our elected officials have spent too much money this (and nearly every) year, resulting in the budget being 2.5 months short for the year.

Instead of a Maine family having “too much month at the end of the paycheck,” our government has “too much year at the end of the budget.”

Our elected officials’ No. 1 responsibility is to provide financial guidance for the country, each and every year. Both parties had 10.5 months to get things in financial order, and they did not achieve a fiscal solution.

I read about the Senate asking for another trillion dollars to spend. At what point will I read from our senators and members of Congress that they will slash a trillion dollars of spending from the $16.9 trillion deficit?

Ten and a half months of reckless spending, and now Congress and the Senate are trying to tell us how important it is to be financially responsible to honor our debts? Are they kidding me? They should’ve been doing that from Day 1 of this, and every, budgetary year.

Rich Coggins, IClinton