Letters and op-eds written by Dave Gebhard of Lakeport.
Published in local Lake County papers, republished here with permission of author.
Bail Out Our People
by Dave Gebhard
We should be exploring cures for
our dysfunctional economy. If we can
bail out banks and Detroit automakers, we can bail out tax-paying Americans.
An out-of-the-box solution is to give a super stimulus, a set amount to seniors who
are willing to retire. Two hundred thousand dollars would do. This would accomplish vacating thousands of
jobs for young people, give an infusion of fresh capital into the economy,
allow huge income and luxury taxes to flow into the treasury, and provide an
avenue for homeowners to pay their boated
home loans.
Perhaps, we could also give
most adult tax-paying citizens the opportunity to get their share of this
bounty in a revolving manner, so people would keep their jobs. Can you imagine poor people spending money on
clothes, vacations, homes, and Detroit cars?
It would not last long, but nobody could say that there is no future in this
country. And the money would circulate
back into the economy.
Rugged individualism is a fine
axiom, but no man is an island, we need to live with everyone. I
do not know about you, but I do not want to live behind walled-in compounds, I
saw enough of them in Vietnam.
Instead of
riots, we might see excesses by paupers, suddenly rich, but the money would not
be going to Cayman Island accounts. It
would be fueling our economy and tax base, paying for itself, in perpetuity so
to speak.
Spending, credit, and job creation need
a good ole kick-start. What if we gave
all those on welfare two hundred thousand dollars, if they gave up welfare for
at least a year? I know, some might be
back on welfare the following year, but they would put this ‘super stimulus’
right back into the economy. We need
spenders, but they have to possess money to spend.
Outrageous, yes, but we need looser
credit, a way out of the housing disaster, and a fresh infusion of money into
the economy. Borrowing from China is not
the answer. We pay interest on debts,
and sooner or later it will climb so high we cannot afford to pay it. It cannot climb indefinitely without reaching
critical mass.
Whereas, investing into
our own economy and people would make an investment in our own citizens, with
no interest demands. It would also
involve all our citizens in our economy, allowing people to share in our bounty
who never dreamed of being part of it.
Nation is decaying from within
Written by Dave Gebhard
Lake
County News 07 August 2011
Thanks to the lack of tax income, the government is pricing
the middle class out of our university system.
Also, for the same reason our kindergarten to 12th grade
school systems, are cutting important programs, while we are concurrently
asking them to up the level of accomplishment, to keep up with the rest of the
industrial world.
Yes, our health care and educational systems are not keeping
up with our peers around the world. I realize they are having problems also,
but they are still supplying more benefits to their citizens.
Thus, our infrastructure is falling into decay, and we are
not embracing new technology because of conflicts with the almighty oil
industry.
We should be attacking the problems with alternative energy
with the same fervor we approach high tech. We are decaying from within, an old
story in the history of nations.
Five percent of our citizens own 90 percent of our country’s
wealth. A minority of Congress allows the same 5 percent and our most
successful corporations from paying their fair share of taxes.
A large amount of our citizens cannot afford eye, dental,
even health care. That same minority is attempting to subvert what little
advances in health care we are still awaiting.
Like a third world country, the wealthy and corporate
interests control an inordinate amount of legislators through their election
donations. Are we becoming a third world country?
We need a dialogue regarding our national identity. Do we
want to be a third world country, with all the elitism and inequality? Or do we
want to stand for the ideals of democracy, equality, and the pursuit of
happiness for all?
A wise man once said that democracy required an informed
electorate; of course, we could revert to colonial times, and only allow
landowners to vote. That would ensure that we were not taken for a true
republic.
The United States
is following in the footsteps of the Roman Empire,
allowing the elite to run the country, while the people increasingly became
homeless, hungry and ignorant. Showing their power, they managed to change the
dialogue from unemployment to deficit reduction, which should be secondary.
We need new blood in Congress, people who care about their
constituents, and understand the unemployed cannot pay taxes.
Both parties need to consider running candidates who believe
in their party’s platforms, not just the gifts of lobbyists and their promises
of jobs after government service.
Angel donors for seniors
By Dave Gebhard
08/04/2011 Record Bee
I would like to address the needs of the elderly. Empty nesters and senior
citizens are desperately in need of companionship.
Dogs and cats can fill the bill, but in Lake County,
it is too expensive to adopt from animal control. It is a good thing to spay
and neuter pets, as there are far too many unwanted animals already. There
needs to be a way to subsidize spaying and neutering so animals have a chance
of finding a home.
We are encouraged to rescue animals, and many people have the home and yard
necessary, but spaying and neutering are expensive.
Mendocino County used to have a half-off program,
where one could adopt at half price.
This allows even middle class families to have the privilege of adopting an
animal. I am proposing that an angel donor or donors from our county, subsidize
elderly adoptions, rescuing not just the animals, but our lonely seniors as
well.
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