Jones warns of economic collapse

HAVELOCK — U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones warned of an economic collapse if the government doesn’t get a handle on its spending.

In a speech to members of the Federal Managers Association Thursday in Havelock, the third-district Republican congressman said America could not remain a strong nation if it didn’t pay its bills.

Speaking to about 150 FMA members at the Havelock Tourist and Event Center, Jones said the country just could not continue “kicking the can down the road” when it came to debt that would ultimately have to be paid by children and grandchildren.

“It’s time that we understand that we’re in a cost crunch in America,” he said. “Uncle Sam, everyday that he awakens, has to sell some of America’s debt to somebody. We cannot afford to keep doing that.

“This is going to be a sad day in America when a veteran that lost his legs in Iraq or Afghanistan goes to the mailbox and realizes there’s no check.”

Jones said that if the country did not get a handle on spending that it would be headed for not just a recession but a collapse.

“The Chinese are going to own us if we don’t get this deficit under control,” Jones said.

Jones pointed out that all was not bad, saying the Fleet Readiness Center East aircraft repair and rework facility at Cherry Point was the strongest it has been since he was elected to Congress in 1994 because of the hard work of employees.

Jones said his 10-year effort to have the Marine Corps identified by the Department of Defense as its own independent branch of the service was closer than ever. This year’s bill, he said, had 425 sponsors in the U.S. House and support from 80 U.S. senators.

“You can’t get 80 senators to agree that there’s a Santa Claus,” Jones said.

Jones said that America needed to look for a means of concluding the war in Afghanistan.

“We need an endpoint to whatever we’re trying to do in Afghanistan,” Jones said.

The congressman said he had visited injured service members recently, and many told him that the rules of engagement needed to be modified.

“Five said ‘The reason I am in this hospital is because I couldn’t fire first,’” he said.

Jones said he had been told that while Americans may be fighting Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, there are more in South America and Central America than in Afghanistan.

Jones said that the people in the Middle East were of a different culture and could not be swayed towards Christianity.

“Let’s take care of ourselves first,” he said. “And if they come after us, let’s go bomb the hell out of them.”

Jones said he supported calls for a Florida minister to stop plans to burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11, saying that despite the minister’s First Amendment right to do so, the act would make the situation worse worldwide and endanger American lives.

“I don’t want to do anything to endanger our troops,” Jones said.

Jones made his comments before the Florida pastor who had arranged for the burning called off his plans Thursday afternoon.

Jones is running against Democrat Johnny G. Rouse and Libertarian Darryl Holloman in November’s General Election.