Cut military spending
Americans reject almost every option to solve the budget crisis [“Voters want fiscal fix but can't agree on how,” page one, Dec. 11].

A really big way to reduce government overspending either wasn't asked about in the poll or left out of the report — waste at the Pentagon. Lobbying by weapons manufacturers and the empire building in the military hierarchy, to say nothing of pointless wars, drive up the national debt.

The United States made its decisive contribution to the winning of World War II because we didn't start with a big military and stockpile of weapons. We built from scratch what was needed for the situation at hand.

Spending less on “defense” could actually make our nation safer as well as more financially secure.

—Bruce Pringle, Normandy Park