To the Editor:
The Pentagon’s budget, including war costs, is $670 billion this year, or about 18 percent of total federal spending. The U.S. defense budget is about 43% of the world’s total defense spending — more than the defense spending of the next 17 nations combined.
Even setting aside the costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, military spending has more than doubled since 2001. And Mitt Romney actually wants to increase the federal deficit by increasing defense spending by $2.1 trillion over the next ten years.
Romney’s proposals to cap total federal spending at 20 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and boost defense spending to 4 percent of GDP would require devastating cuts in both entitlement and discretionary programs. Hundreds of police officers have already been laid off across New Jersey. Romney’s priorities are completely irresponsible. President Obama has a much more balanced position on defense spending, and he should be re-elected.
MARK F. DONLON
Lambertville