I truly believe that America is in deep trouble and the two biggest problems I see are the two political parties and millions of uninformed voters. I also believe that our Founding Fathers didn’t see those problems because they had never experienced either in the past.

But there is another factor that our Founding Fathers missed that is probably just as or maybe even more important and that is the voters’ quest to empty the public treasury for their own benefit at someone else’s expense. After America became a young nation, who had the right the vote? For the most part the majority were landowners and businessmen who paid taxes. Please, I am not saying that situation was right especially since our Constitution guarantees the same rights for all which didn’t happen for a long time.

However, I do like the following quote and there is much debate online as to whom really created it so I will just give the reader the quote: “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.” Largesse means money or bounty given to a large number of people.

Many Americans are no longer looking for their dream and instead are looking to live off of someone else’s dream. That is called redistribution of wealth and I have no doubt that will be the downfall of our once great nation. It’s sad to say that Americans no longer purchase the most new automobiles or purchase the most luxury items. In 2011, Forbes.com reported that New York City no longer had the most billionaires. It’s hard to believe that Moscow, Russia became the No. 1 city for that. America had only two cities in the top 10 for billionaires. We all should know how many American companies fled overseas to increase profits and reduce costs as well as taxes.

My main point for this column is that America must return to its roots of freedom from excessive taxation and the removal of a burdensome and oppressive government. That sounds easy but after 43 presidents (although President Obama is the 44th president but I’ll let the readers figure that one out) and the 112th Congress, Americans are rapidly becoming the most taxed citizens on this planet. Every administration has placed an increased burden upon us to say nothing about state legislatures along with local selectmen or town councilors. And why is that? That’s because voters want someone to give them something for nothing. What’s even worse is that some local and appointed officials want us to believe that they can tell what is best for us while not telling the complete truth and using our tax dollars to do it.

In Windham, I have no doubt that our town manager will try to convince our town council to spend approximately $18,000 promoting the North Windham sewer project in the name of educating citizens that the sewer is needed or Windham will face disaster. The company he wants to do this is also the same firm that did a supposed survey on whether residents of Windham would welcome a sewer project, although the word “sewer” was omitted from the survey. In a recent letter in a local newspaper, the town manager promised to educate the citizens, which means he has no problem in placing an ever-increasing tax burden upon us who pay property taxes.

Then there are those who want dog parks, ballparks, amphitheaters and God knows what else at public expense. I have only one response. If you want, pay for it yourself. It’s either that or all of you pay for my house, my car, my food and every other bill I have. Hey, that’s not a bad idea at all. Check please.

Lane Hiltunen, of Windham, wonders why slim chance and fat chance mean the same thing.