Enough Is Enough

To be called a "sucker" is a rather derogatory label. The classic definition of a sucker is a "person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of". The associated synonyms are even more descriptive: "chump, fool, mark, fall guy, schlemiel, soft touch and mug." Why do I bring this up? Recent news and info about our economy indicate that this writer and probably the few who by chance read this Blog are "suckers". We pay our bills, pay our taxes, handle our debts and are basically financially responsible. However; there is an ever increasing group of people who do not share these characteristics or values. These folks do not pay their bills, do not pay their taxes and ignore their debts. Add to this scenario our elected officials who continue to be free and easy with our money and what we have is the financial mess in which we now find ourselves.

A recent media investigation discovered that in the city of Seattle unpaid parking tickets amount to a whopping $54 million dollars and Seattle like many other cities is dealing with severe budget shortfalls. California's Franchise Tax Board lists the top 250 delinquent personal and corporate taxpayers and these 250 account for over $130 million in taxes owed. Unfortunately, these shortfalls will be met by the  usual solutions -- increased fees along with service cuts. The systems in place to process and deal with these dead beats is virtually ineffectual. Rather than continually penalize those of us who meet our financial obligations maybe it is time to aggressively go after the dead beats. A perfunctory review of the internet shows numerous individuals who flaunt their extravagant lifestyles and yet have considerable tax debt. Some of those who owe thousands in unpaid parking tickets state they have no intention of paying the fines because there is nothing Seattle officials can do to collect the money.

On a larger scale it is reported that Egypt's Hosni Mubarak has a personal net worth of around $70 billion dollars. Egypt is one of two countries that receive the largest slice of this country's foreign aid hand outs (Israel being the other) and it looks like Mubarak has done quite well over the last 30 years. When one considers some of the clowns, crooks and characters this country has financially supported with our foreign aid dollars one can only imagine the billions of dollars now stashed in Swiss bank accounts. As Seattle officials shake their heads in disbelief over $54 million in unpaid parking tickets and California's Franchise Tax Board waits for its 250 dead beats to pay up, the rest of us suckers endure and tolerate closed state offices, reduced public services along with ever increasing fees, taxes and assessments.

The middle class in this country continues to carry a heavy financial burden. Consider the fact that a college education is now so expensive that the total student loan debt is larger than the total consumer credit debit in the United States. Over one trillion of our federal tax dollars have been pissed away in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. We have bailed out Wall street and the Big Banks only to see the ranks of the unemployed reach record highs and foreclosures escalate while the corporate elite continue to rake in lucrative bonuses.  Back in the 40's there was a movement called America First. It is time for a variation of this movement which  today could be called Americans First.

It should be fairly obvious to anyone with a pulse that we are in this current economic mess for several easily recognizable reasons and solutions are attainable:

• we have far too many members of congress and the senate who have placed their personal and party agenda above that of the country's agenda. The result is a kind of legislative grid lock.
• our continued expenditures on the mid-east wars is adversely effecting our economy ---one and quarter billion dollars spent to date and still climbing.
• tax dollars that have been collected must be better spent; that is, in America for Americans.
• past and present student loan rates must be immediately reduced  to 3%and frozen at that level.
• Foreclosures must be immediately halted and banks required t o re-set mortgage interest rates that will allow people to remain in their homes
• immediate moratorium on all foreign aid pending re-evaluation on actual need and how aid was spent.
• aggressive collection of all unpaid stat e and federal taxes as well as unpaid fines and assessments on local, state and federal level.
• immediately spread the burden of applicable sales taxes to include on line or internet sales.    

  
 
The solution is not cuts in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the relentless attack on the middle class and main street. The middle class has carried more than its share in this economic mess. If more revenue is needed and less needs to be spent the options have been clearly identified above. Enough is enough.