"BROKE-BACK HARRY!"

"My heroes have always been cowboys..."; this is a lyric from a Willie Nelson song and as a boy, I can attest that the American cowboy was the first hero of thousands of little boys across the nation. When I was young, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were foremost in my heart. They were "manly men" who always fought the good fight. As I matured as a cowboy aficionado, I embraced John Wayne and Gary Cooper, they were still "good guys", but they were more realistic in their portrayals; they still remained a "man's man", but they did have a romantic side that Roy and Gene kept subdued in their roles. As I watched television later in life, I watched Randolph Scott and Errol Flynn ride into several western towns with guns blazing; there was also Kirk Douglas and James Garner riding "tall in the saddle". I watched countless films and television shows featuring numerous "Wyatt Earps" and "Billy the Kids", portrayed by a plethora of actors. As time moved on, we have seen Clint Eastwood, Yul Bryner and Steve McQueen show an edgier cowboy, with a dark side; yet still a "good guy" under the surface. Every cowboy was what we have come to expect as the atypical American Hero; strong, silent and unafraid in tough situations.

America is now facing a huge budget crisis. We are looking at a financial "shut-down" of the federal government and something must be done in quick order. The last congressional election was a call to arms against free spending and government entitlements. Many pet projects must be put on the "chopping block" if we intend to enter an era of financial responsibility in government. Government grants must be carefully examined for their necessity and relevance to what America needs. Obviously, some things must remain as they are of real importance to our nation; yet, there are some things that must fall by the wayside; we can't afford them!

The Congress has introduced a bill limiting the National Endowment of the Arts, H.R.1; it will de-fund several government financed programs in an effort to restore some fiscal common sense to our budget. Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is upset by this attempt to restore common sense to our spending habits. Harry is upset that this bill will de-fund a "Cowboy Poet Festival" in Elko, Nevada. I'm sure the folks in Elko don't want to lose their funding, and I'm sorry if this will cause them problems, but some people will feel the pinch of this crisis. If this festival is as popular as Senator Reid says it is, it should be able to make money on its own merits; the rest of America can't "foot the bill" anymore. I'm sure John Wayne, Gary Cooper and Randolph Scott will understand, although I never heard any of their poetry. If our legislators continue to protect this type of spending, our battle against over-spending will be lost, and America will shut down. Harry, it's time to bite the bullet, "pardner", and ride off into the sunset with these unnecessary and foolish programs. ADIOS BUCKAROO, FREE SPENDING IS OVER!!