Damon Woods: Facts on debt are that it has gone up $19 trillion in 36 years

Re “Get your facts straight on deficit” (Letters, Oct. 2): You ask that folks get their facts straight while you fudge your numbers. Here are the facts: National debt, 1980: $0.9 trillion; 1990: $3.2 trillion; 2000: $5.5 trillion; 2008: $10.5 trillion; October, 2016: $19.5 trillion (projected to be at $20.0 trillion by January, 2017). So, President Reagan raised the debt by about $2 trillion (stopped the cold war, among other accomplishments), presidents Bush and Clinton raised the debt by $2.0 trillion (hmm, the same amount as Reagan). President George W. Bush raised the debit by $5 trillion, and President Obama raised the debt by $10 trillion.

Of course we all know it isn’t one person who does all the spending. Your analysis hid behind the percentage increase factor, but it does not represent true debt dollars. I find it interesting you Democrats always leave out the facts when you cry foul. Check your facts next time before you argue that the “other side” isn’t.

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Damon Woods: Facts on debt are that it has gone up $19 trillion in 36 years."