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 12^th 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.

Dave Gebhard lives in Lakeport, Calif.