To the Editor:

I agree that the use of labels such as “liberal,” “conservative” and “socialist” and all the yelling and screaming back and forth on the “bailouts” and “government involvement” are not productive. Also non-productive is finger-pointing at the previous administration.

However, the source of the problems we face today goes back much further than eight or 16 or even 32 years. Politicians bent on securing more votes for their re-election introduced and enacted legislation that has created an attitude of “entitlement” which has become pervasive in our society. You now don’t have to work to get ahead in life, just sit back and government will bring it to you if you wait long enough.

In this sense, “government involvement” has led us to where we are today. We have a two-class society, those who “pay” and those who are “recipients of payments” of entitlements created by government. Government is already so deeply involved in the daily lives of citizens, on multitudes of levels, that it can never be dislodged; it is here to stay.

The Tea Parties were not just about protesting taxes, they were about protesting the use of tax revenue to deepen government involvement. The proposals floated to address problems that should be addressed are wildly expensive. Those who advocate them don’t seem to be concerned about where the funds will come from, just enact the legislation and somehow funding will magically appear. Fact is, it will have to be borrowed and paid back with interest. Who is going to fund the repayment? Right, taxpayers.

If all these massive spending proposals are enacted, taxes will go up, a lot! By the time the federal government, state government, county government, and municipal government have taken their share, there won’t be much left. Those who think it can be funded by raising taxes on the “rich” are living in a fantasy world. A lot of people who don’t consider themselves “rich” will soon find that the government does.

Most Americans are not very well informed. Few read newspapers daily and most watch newscasts that do not contain in-depth analysis of issues affecting all citizens. History and civics are not emphasized in school, at least not to the extent they were in the1950s and 1960s. They have no idea how “government” works or of the values and ideals on which this country was founded.

My advice is to inform yourself, take a long-range view of the effect of proposed legislation, not just look at “what is it going to do for me today.” Short range is two to five years, not next Friday; long range is 20 years down the pike, not next month. If this approach had been taken years ago, we might not be in this mess, which comes back to politicians looking for votes for reelection.

To quote Merle Haggard, “Are the good times really over for good?” We may not be a “socialist” nation now, but it is certainly a distinct possibility. I’m glad I can say that I grew up and lived in America when times were good.

Robert H. Noland

Waynesville