Regarding Ed Blanchard’s letter (BDN, Oct. 3), his accusation that the present-day U.S. senators and representatives are the problem with fiscal immorality in government spending is absolutely true. The only route to a healthier bottom line, especially at the federal level, is to vote the offending, almost criminal, career U.S. legislators out of office and elect new ones who view their jobs as only temporary and representative of the voters. Today, federal politicians represent only themselves, constantly working for their re-election in order to retain their sumptuous incomes, benefits and power.

Harry Truman thought of himself as only on “loan” from the people; he left the White House with nothing more than when he arrived and retired with his wife, Bess, in his mother-in-law’s house.

He never owned property. Today, they get multi-million dollar retirement packages regardless of their performance. Federal debt continues to climb, politicians spend more and more money on their re-elections, being paid while doing so, and they hardly represent their so-called constituents.

They represent themselves and if nothing is done about our present form of government, we are doomed to failure as a nation. Either we vote out the present federal legislators in the near future or our country will become a third-world nation. My money is on failure because most voters are naive, gullible and don’t take the time to vote.

Richard Graves

Presque Isle