West: "The House has presented alternative plans to replace sequestration with thoughtful spending cuts."

While I respect Mr. West more than most of the congressional light weights, there weren't any thoughtful spending cuts, were there? There were only, at best, decreases in the amount of increases masquerading as cuts, but mostly just increases.

The private sector needs stability and consistency. We've had neither for years, including under Bush. But the real problem is that politics has become the confluence of influence and affluence... Those who bribe, get the contracts... If there is a pony to be had, they will get it.

Well, the rest of us in the private sector, those of us who are "building our own", who don't covet the government largess, but only wish government would stop clogging the free markets, want you all to stop trying to help, particularly based on the information given by those businesses large enough to employ your help in blocking the next up-start entrepreneur.

As to the military, try this philosophy for a few years (as in -- until our budget is balanced) , stop meddling in countries all over the world! Let these global cultures, evolved as they have to meet the challenges of their world, determine their own destiny, based on their values, not what you and the state department feel would be useful to our interests... Our troops occupy what... about a 100 countries now? Bring them home. Put them on the borders until they're discharged. Our foreign policy seems to be creating enemies we then must subdue. Stop it.

In other words, defense, not offense, would save us billions, if not trillions.. Didn't your mother ever tell you to mind your own business? Sequestration seems not too bad from down here. We can't afford your philosophy any more.

The military industrial complex is one of the key factors that is bankrupting our country. We are responsible for 40% of the world's military expenditures to defend less than 5% of the world population. A very small percentage of the military budget actually goes towards defending the country and its borders. If the military focused on what our founders intended its purpose to be the country would probably be a safer place and we wouldn't need to spend almost a Trilllion dollars a year on defense.

This is funny, it is almost like Allen West would have us believe that he did'nt vote for this or something, but WAIT... look here : http://clerk.house.gov/evs/201...

Allen West actually VOTED YES for this mess. In an effort to kick the can down the road and because Republicans were unwilling to allow even a 10:1 ratio of spending cuts to new revenue, they settled for the sequestration idea. Now they all want to back peddle and pretend like it wasnt their vote that put this thing in place.

WHY THE #$%# DID YOU VOTE FOR THIS TERRIBLE LEGISLATION MR. WEST? You voted to kill jobs and to make this country less safe. You are a disgrace.

This piece should be called "Time for the taxpayers of America to fund jobs in my district". Mr. West has a dismal record of voting for any bill which would help the middle class. He has compared social security, a program which has lifted seniors out of poverty, to slavery. Yet, he desperately wants to continue the defense buying by the government because the products are made in his district and his state by his constitutents. He touts this on his own website, worrying about the jobs Florida will lose if the sequester goes through. No jobs for the rest of America, just for his own slice of it.

Instead of the US being able to destroy every city on the planet in three hours, they will have to do it in four. Instead of thousands of new planes, subs, and aircraft carriers, they will build a few less. Tax payers should benefit from the savings.