Ross Perot

In response to James P. Pinkerton’s “Deficit Storm Raining Scuds on Washington,” Column Right, May 20:

It seems somewhat ironic that someone writing for The Times would finally begin to understand the motivating force behind the 19 million-plus voters who supported Ross Perot’s bid for President. It is unfortunate that this first step is coming months after the election. It is almost tragic that the media could not comprehend that those who rallied behind Perot were fed up with the inability of our elected representatives to control themselves enough to rein in the ballooning federal deficit.

Pinkerton correctly alludes to the fact that Perot was merely the first salvo in the deficit war’s “call to arms.” While many may dismiss us as alarmists, kooks, or worse, we are dead serious about changing the course of our country’s spending policies. If one cannot fathom the “real” motivation behind Perot’s legions, one should examine modern history. Why did the U.S.S.R. collapse? What happened to Brazil’s economy in the ‘70s? Why did the German Weimar Republic collapse, thereby providing a power vacuum for the Nazis? The correct answer is their national debt!

MITCHELL GORE

Sherman Oaks

Am I the only one fed up with the antics of Perot? Where is the high priest of national sacrifice now that we need him? During the campaign, Perot railed against the deficit and chided Americans for indulging in the wasteful pleasures of cheap gasoline. Where has Perot been when Clinton proposed his deficit reduction plan and BTU tax? Likewise, what about Perot’s plans to storm Washington and end gridlock by giving marching orders to the Congress? Does anyone now imagine that Perot would be more successful than Clinton at this point in his presidency?

IVAN STRENSKI

Los Angeles