Last night President Obama delivered his first State of the Union address to Congress. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal provided the minority party’s direct response after Mr. Obama concluded.

Jindal described several of the incredibly wasteful expenses included in the recently passed “stimulus” package. $300 million for new government cars (at least the big three auto makers will have a few sales this year), $8 billion for the development of high speed rail from Las Vegas to Disneyland (congrats to Senator Harry Reid for the huge piece of pork), and $140 million to monitor volcanic activity. Jindal is right – Congress “should be monitoring the eruption of wasteful spending.” The Democrats spending spree is irresponsible and only stimulates the growth of government, not of its citizens.

The government must cut waste, control energy expenses (which includes increasing renewable energy, drilling for more oil, and more nuclear power plants), allow for private universal health care (not government run, but rather patient managed), and a huge focus on bettering the education of our children.

Congress hardly read the massive $800 billion stimulus bill and did not offer the opportunity to the American people to review the package and provide their opinions.

The way to strengthening of our country is to decrease spending, empower small business owners, grow our economy, and create new jobs. It is not to grow government as the Democrats would have us believe. “Don’t let anyone tell you America’s best days are behind us.”