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IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE
Thanks for the fine piece by Joshua Cuevas (“A Call to
Reason for Socialism." Mar. 8). I'm sure he'll receive verdicts of
“naive" and “unrealistically utopian" from the neo-con sector.
Nevertheless, our Republic is. indeed, threatened to its core by the
extreme division of wealth in this country.
Perhaps it is time to nationalize certain segments of our
economy that have become too large and too insensitive to the
basic needs of our citizenry. Chief among them: the oil and gas
industries and the medical-industrial complex. Much could be ac
complished by removing the profit motive from these operations.
(After all. since the American taxpayer is guaranteeing free medi
cal care for all of the citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as
members of Congress, is it really so unrealistic to assume that we
should not offer this same sort of care for our own citizens?)
I agree with Mr. Cuevas' assertion that our country is. in truth,
being governed by Political Action Committees (PACs) and special
interest groups (neither of which are Constitutionally based). We
have a dearth of leadership in government and we have only our
selves to blame. We have elected people who are unable to resist
the financial temptations these PACs offer to them. The halls of
Congress are infected on a daily basis by hoards of lobbyists armed
with large checking accounts. It amazes me that the “religious
right" hasn't picked up on this scheme as a moral issue. Maybe
Congress should decree that lobbyists and PACs could not have of
fices within 500 miles of Washington, DC.
We also need strong, effective campaign reform legislation.
Why not take money out of the picture altogether? Why not fi
nance all Congressional elections using the same taxpayer funded
monies created from the "Presidential Elections" box on our annual
1040 tax return? Or, at the very least, set a limit on the amount
that can be spent on an election. Give each candidate enough
money to send every constituent in his (or her) district ONE post
card on which he could BRIEFLY outline his platform and list an
address and telephone number for people to respond. Leave the
rest to the media. Let a vibrant media interview and expose these
people and their views for better, more effective government. As
for the office of President, who says a poor person might not make
an excellent president? (Lincoln comes to mind.) Wouldn't it be
wonderful if we could choose from, say, 200 candidates for presi
dent. representing ALL segments of our society, rather than what
we have now: a choice between two multimillionaires representing
only two ineffective political parties.
So as not to squelch the "American Dream," we could still al
low rich people to be taxed at a reasonable rate (say. 20 percent)
on the first million they earn each year. After that (after the first
$1,000,000 in annual income, that is), tax them at, say, 95 per
cent. This would still mean that baseball players could net more
than a million dollars a year: they would just have to work harder
for the next two or three million.
Executive compensation? Don't get me started! If the folks at
GM and Ford (and Delta Airlines^ were truly serious about wanting
to turn their companies around, top salaries at those organizations
ought to peak at $50,000. Since this WON'T happen, should we
be surprised when they face bankruptcy? Why do we feel "bullied"
when foreign manufacturers are able to prosper while American
companies continue to reward poor management with annual bo
nuses tnat exceed the yearly salaries of executives at Toyota? (By
the way, I drive American cars but don't plan to buy another one
until they develop one that exceeds 50 mpg—such cars already
exist in other countries, some even made by American companies.
They just aren't available in this country. Why? Address your que
ries to Exxon.)
Return to the good, old American principle of Emersonian self
reliance. The individual still has a lot of power in our economy.
Don't just bitch about the high cost of gas and oil. Set your ther
mostat at 50. Try doing without your car for ONE day a week: with
practice, this can turn into three or four days. Walk. Bicycle. Ride
a scooter. If the government isn't wise enough to ration gasoline,
that doesn't mean that you can't ration it yourself! Save at least
10 percent of your income. If you can't save 10 percent of your
income, you're already living beyond your means.
Don't look to an unresponsive government as a cure-all. Vote,
for God's sake, VOTE! It's the only egalitarian principle still alive
in this country. A good rule of thumb is: don't vote for the incum
bent; if they didn't do a good job this time, what makes you think
they'll do a good job next time? Give someone else a chance. In
most states, one man's vote counts as much as the next man's, re
gardless of income. (Florida and Ohio need work on this one!)
I hope Mr. Cuevas' observations will, at the very least, encour
age others to think, and to think rationally about these important
issues regarding the future of our Republic. I think most Americans
are hungry for the TRUTH and, when armed with it, will do the
right things to ensure the survival of a truly democratic society.
Joseph S. Causey pad2s@charter net
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