A dozen Ogden bridge players decided they liked President Clinton's call for fiscal responsibility. So they collected $240 toward trimming the nation's $3 trillion deficit.
Theresa Bird, 79, and her longtime bridge partners met the day after Clinton's State of the Union address. They talked about how they could best support the president - and express concern over the effect the deficit will have on their grandchildren.Republicans and Democrats alike, the group decided to write a letter to Clinton accompanied by a "symbolic amount of money" to be applied against the deficit, Bird said.
The letter read in part:
"The Social Security benefits for many of us will not be affected by your proposed tax, simply because our income is below the taxable amount, yet we want to be a part of your plan for reducing the deficit."
"We want to show we care about our country," said Marge Crow, 73.
Jeanette Havas, 75, who says she survived World War II Nazi concentration camps before emigrating to the United States, added: "This country gave me a home - a home of freedom - and made me comfortable and I want to make it more comfortable."