For all of you in South Carolina who want "Washington" to fix our national debt problem and stop the spending, can I please ask that you start right here in South Carolina.

Please write to your representatives and ask them to cut the federal spending here in South Carolina.

The facts are that from 1990 to 2009, South Carolina paid $301 billion in federal taxes, while spending $494 billion in federal money. That is a South Carolina contribution to our federal deficit of $193 billion over 20 years. When you rant against "Washington," would you please look in the mirror.

My message to the newly appointed U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, who wants to work on federal spending cuts: Take the lead and itemize the federal dollars you are not going to spend in South Carolina.

Wow, wouldn't that be a national breath of fresh air. Oops, but then you would not re-elect him. Quite a dilemma. And that, my friends, is the issue. We all want tax cuts, but no one wants "their" spending cut.

George Stuart

Bluffton