I believe we have come to the time where it is necessary for citizens to take back control of our government at all levels. No, I am not writing about a revolution here but rather it’s high time to start over with government hell-bent on either raising our taxes or taking away our freedom or something even worse, doing both at the same time. Lately we have seen stories out of towns like Old Orchard Beach where my wife and I lived for a while where the political discord has become so large that every town councilor will face a recall petition to remove them from office.

I do know that it’s time to hold elected and appointed officials a whole lot more accountable than in the past. It’s time to hit them where it hurts just like they are doing to us. It’s time to hit them in their wallets and if necessary, even remove them from their elected or appointed office. Please remember in a republic we elect people to represent us and do our business. It is also the responsibility of elected officials to appoint responsible people to do the same. All I see lately is partisan bickering and blame galore while we end up with higher taxes and less freedom. I have recently seen numerous letters to the editor and e-mails calling for reduction in salaries and benefits of elected officials and I couldn’t agree more with that idea.

When I look at some of the salaries and benefits of state legislators, I wonder how the voters in those states could even begin to allow such a thing to happen in the first place. Legislators in New Hampshire earn a whopping $200 for a two-year term and no expense allowance while those in Michigan earn $71,685 plus a yearly expense of $10,800 for a session while the per-capita personal income in 2010 was $35,597. Members of Congress receive a six-figure salary although their retirement figures are grossly overestimated by many. Windham’s superintendent of schools and town manager also make six-figure salaries. Now that’s not even close to the scandal in Bell, Calif., where the city manager was making something like $800,000 a year with 12-percent pay raises and ended up with a $1.5 million salary before the corruption in city government was discovered by the public.

So what are we to do? Lately, government at all levels is crying poverty and yet amazingly can come up with millions, if not billions, of dollars to spend when they want. At the national level, the so-called Sequester supposedly shut down the public tours of the White House. That happened so quick I wonder who’s hiding what in the White House. Has anyone been fired at the White House where quite a few folks make six-figure salaries? The U.S. Department of Justice let hundreds of illegal aliens out of federal prisons, which sounds to me like the Justice Department did something illegal. Secretary of State John Kerry has promised Egypt $250 million in aid and I just read an article where the U.S. Air Force awarded a $427.5 million contract to build 20 light-attack aircraft for the Afghanistan Air Force and some portions of these planes will be built in Brazil instead of the United States. So much for the government taking care of American jobs.

I believe the time has come for politicians and others in government to take a financial hit when taxes and fees are raised on us. When members of the Maine Legislature do something that causes a tax increase on Maine citizens, then their salaries and benefits should be reduced as well. When members of the U.S. Congress pass legislation that hurts our wallets, their wallets should feel double the effect we do.

At the same time it is time for some serious term limits. My favorite proposal restricts all elected officials serving no more than six years in office with no medical or retirement benefits at all.

Lane Hiltunen, of Windham, believes a tax Armageddon is coming this year.

I believe we have come to the time where it is necessary for citizens to take back control of our government at all levels. No, I am not writing about a revolution here but rather it’s high time to start over with government hell-bent on either raising our taxes or taking away our freedom or something even worse, doing both at the same time. Lately we have seen stories out of towns like Old Orchard Beach where my wife and I lived for a while where the political discord has become so large that every town councilor will face a recall petition to remove them from office.

I do know that it’s time to hold elected and appointed officials a whole lot more accountable than in the past. It’s time to hit them where it hurts just like they are doing to us. It’s time to hit them in their wallets and if necessary, even remove them from their elected or appointed office. Please remember in a republic we elect people to represent us and do our business. It is also the responsibility of elected officials to appoint responsible people to do the same. All I see lately is partisan bickering and blame galore while we end up with higher taxes and less freedom. I have recently seen numerous letters to the editor and e-mails calling for reduction in salaries and benefits of elected officials and I couldn’t agree more with that idea.

When I look at some of the salaries and benefits of state legislators, I wonder how the voters in those states could even begin to allow such a thing to happen in the first place. Legislators in New Hampshire earn a whopping $200 for a two-year term and no expense allowance while those in Michigan earn $71,685 plus a yearly expense of $10,800 for a session while the per-capita personal income in 2010 was $35,597. Members of Congress receive a six-figure salary although their retirement figures are grossly overestimated by many. Windham’s superintendent of schools and town manager also make six-figure salaries. Now that’s not even close to the scandal in Bell, Calif., where the city manager was making something like $800,000 a year with 12-percent pay raises and ended up with a $1.5 million salary before the corruption in city government was discovered by the public.

So what are we to do? Lately, government at all levels is crying poverty and yet amazingly can come up with millions, if not billions, of dollars to spend when they want. At the national level, the so-called Sequester supposedly shut down the public tours of the White House. That happened so quick I wonder who’s hiding what in the White House. Has anyone been fired at the White House where quite a few folks make six-figure salaries? The U.S. Department of Justice let hundreds of illegal aliens out of federal prisons, which sounds to me like the Justice Department did something illegal. Secretary of State John Kerry has promised Egypt $250 million in aid and I just read an article where the U.S. Air Force awarded a $427.5 million contract to build 20 light-attack aircraft for the Afghanistan Air Force and some portions of these planes will be built in Brazil instead of the United States. So much for the government taking care of American jobs.

I believe the time has come for politicians and others in government to take a financial hit when taxes and fees are raised on us. When members of the Maine Legislature do something that causes a tax increase on Maine citizens, then their salaries and benefits should be reduced as well. When members of the U.S. Congress pass legislation that hurts our wallets, their wallets should feel double the effect we do.

At the same time it is time for some serious term limits. My favorite proposal restricts all elected officials serving no more than six years in office with no medical or retirement benefits at all.

Lane Hiltunen, of Windham, believes a tax Armageddon is coming this year.