Letter To Barack

666 Lakeland Blvd.

Belleville, 66 62226

November 1, 2007

The Honorable Barack Obama

United States Senate

713 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510-1305

Dear Senator Obama:

My name is Alex Schmaltz, and I am a sophomore at Belleville East High School, and I am writing to express my concerns for the future. There is an extreme deficit in the United States today, as you may know the debt increases by an average of $1.4 billion dollars a day. Obviously it is a very alarming rate of increase, and needs to get under control.

First off, I think it would be best, if we were to pull out of Iraq. It would not help immediately because of transportation costs, but in the long run, it would help immensely. Six hundred billion dollars is budgeted to the department of defense. The cost of a failing war has taken a horrendous toll on the United States. The war in Iraq has also lessened our standings in the eyes of many of the nations of the world.

Linked with the situation with Iraq, we must increase funding to the Department of Energy, to be used for the exploration of alternative fuel sources. Decreasing our involvement in the middle east would help rid us of relying on terrorist nations for American necessities. As of now, hydrogen is being researched as an alternative fuel source.

Our futures are looking grim if we continue down this path of economic self destruction. I hope for the future of America's sake, the countries changes for the better.