Tom, your points are right on target. We get too little for too much taken from us. I love the freedom of this country, but we are losing a lot as the government grows and its own citizens are treated as aliens. We should have never started with this handout thing back during FDR's days; it has spiraled out of control and now everyone thinks that they are entitled to something more than a job.

Cecil

>Cecil;

>I do not think we are socialist – however we are paying more and receiving less. That has been an observation of mine since I was a child. I call it “The American Way”.

>I remember when I was seven years old that hamburger at Bruno’s on Mission Street was one third of a loaf of sour dough French bread and cost seventy five cents. The next year it was a quarter of a loaf and cost one dollar. The price kept going up and the portion got smaller. My mother began calling Bruno’s hamburger a “pimple burger”, as it was so small. It was also the most expensive hamburger in San Francisco.

>Just one case in point – Medical Insurance. For the purpose of this example forget the over 40 million United States residents who cannot afford such a luxury. What has happened to the cost of medical insurance in relation to annual inflation? At the same time what has happened to the coverage of such policies. Even though the cost goes up the coverage goes down.

>Government be it local, state, or federal, taxes us and we receive less from our “donations”. What we should do is have our employers direct deposit our paychecks into the federal treasury. The federal government will only use what is required. However, they will still need more then we are able to pay and will simply send us an “IOU”! :)

>Remember in capitalism it is not more for less. No sir – it is less for more! The beauty of our system is that many people are brain washed into thinking everything is great. For some reality is very different.

>Now strangely enough we do have a form of socialism but it is not available to all. No sir! If you are an illegal alien you receive free medical care. If you are a citizen or legal resident you pay or do without. Now that is the American way. Be rich or an illegal alien to really enjoy the system. As for the rest of us - we just pay our taxes and support all the wonderful programs that we rarely if ever get to hear of.

>Anyway, have a great weekend and enjoy life.

>Tom