I keep a household budget. If I spend more that I take in, I'm in trouble. Why can't the federal government figure this out too?

If the wheels of our economy are grinding to a halt, then it makes sense to cut expenses. But why is our humongous military outlay never on the table? We're engaged in three wars, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. We have bases all over the world. We have a huge fleet of aircraft carriers and other vessels. In fact, when I shop at Safeway on Boston Street, I can see two large gray military ships docked across the harbor. They haven't moved in years — why not scrap them?

There are plenty of ways to save money, but the federal government won't touch the sacred military-industrial complex cows. So what's on the chopping block? The "entitlement" programs every American paid into during their working careers.

I'm tired of this mess, and I'm tired of the tap dancing taking place around it

Roz Ellis, Baltimore