Letter: Trying to avoid 'fiscal cliff'

I'm embarrassed by letter writers when they mock Republicans for being Scrooges. After all, Republicans keep attempting to come to the table with our president on any agreement to keep taxes from rising for everyone on Jan. 1.

House Speaker John Boehner was duly elected, as was the president. Boehner is the third in line to be president. He deserves to be respected for trying to keep the country from bankruptcy.

He has gone to the White House three times with amended proposals. I wonder why the president goes around the country making speeches, stating he won't budge on taxing "the rich" or by raising the age of Social Security or even limiting millionaires' payments of same. Instead, shouldn't he be at the White House working with Sens. Harry Reid and Boehner, in front of the cameras? Keeping the promises he made for openness and transparency?

He said he would bring our country together. Is he? Didn't President Barack Obama say he would have a "balanced" budget proposal? Where is it? Is it in writing?

I'm not a fan of Boehner's. I think he should be out in front of cameras waiving his proposal and handing out copies to the press.

After four years without a budget from the Democrats, how dare anyone blame Republicans for trying to reign in spending by the spend thrifts in Washington. If Obama doesn't want to compromise, all taxpayers will have a piece of coal in their stockings come Jan. 1. How will this help job creation or our economy?

Loretta Ann Torres

Princeton