George Jones misses much in his letter to the editor (June 30). Republican governors are also running deficits. Gov. Bobby Jindal (a GOP presidential hopeful) has made a colossal mess of his state’s budget and, as a result, Louisiana may run its largest deficit in history.

Former Gov. Rick Perry of Texas (also a GOP presidential wannabee), who was governor for 14 years, left a current and future mess for Texans due to billions of dollars refunded to property owners and reduced franchise taxes for businesses.

Texas has underfunded education, health care, Medicaid, pensions and clean air measures. Perry refused to accept $39 billion to expand Medicaid that would have cost the state $9 billion. Meanwhile, one in four children there do not have enough to eat. Women, infants and children have paid the price.

Kansas and Wisconsin also face budget deficits.

Jones is overlooking the demographics of the seven most dangerous cities in the United States, with their high unemployment, cuts in education, housing and health care. Republicans love to slash and cut government, and then kick the can full of problems down the road.

The price a free society pays for civility and freedom is called “taxes.”

Hazen Kenney, Norway