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Show Federal deficit J To the Editor: I keep learning how the Democrats are the big spenders and the Republicans are so conservative with our tax dollars so I gathered up the statistics on the federal deficits for the last 48 years and the estimates for the next two years. Harry Truman, a Democrat had the smallest deficit of any of the presidents from Roosevelt to Reagan. Thej were--eighyeaxsw-ith-butiget surpluses in the "last 48 and five of the eight were during Democratic administrations. Another point of interest was the average deficit per year for Gerald Ford was 46 billion, Jimmy Carter was 45 billion and Ronald Reagan was 116 billion. Also the deficits as a percentage of total output was very enlightening. Truman 0.2 (D), Eisenhower 0.5 (R), Kennedy 1.1 (D), Johnson 0.9 (D), Nixon 1.2 (R),. ' Ford 3.5 (R), Carter 2.0 (D), Reagan 4.5 ( R) . Looking at the statistics I just can't see the justification for the Republicans being labeled as conservative conser-vative spenders when under the Republican presidents the country has incurred the largest deficits. President Reagan in four years will have a deficit of 565.6 billion and the total for the eight other presidents in the preceding 46 ... years is 645.4 billion dollars. Now let's total the Republican and Democratic deficits. Democrats 436.9 billion, Republicans 774.7 billion. Quite a difference! Now some will say that the Congress was controlled by the Democrats so it's their fault, but the truth is that when the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the presidency the deficits are quite a bit smaller than they are when the White House has a Republican president. Also the Democrats had a veto proof Congress t: Republican administration an;t recent history. Presently the Sena' .;. the White House are both contrfe Republicans and the deficits f largest in history and they were'--on a balance the budget platform I we need to take a second lookat' really the big spenders! PERRY MACE, Chairman, Uintah County Der. Party ( P.S. The statistics are from I News & World Report, Feb. 7,-; ! pages 24 and 25, which they re. , from the U.S. Department of Co.- : Office of ManagemenUndtt ' |