Over 30 years ago I heard the now deceased Rev. E.V. Hill [of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles] state, "I do not trust the left-wing or the right-wing because they are both flapping off the same bird, and it is a bird of destruction."

Daily we watch our government continue to deteriorate into utter chaos like a group of leeches fighting to see who gets the opportunity to suck the last drop of blood out of the American taxpayer.

The actions of our government are quickly heading in the direction of socialism. The promise of socialism has always been equality through redistribution of wealth and government control and distribution of all resources and services. The historical result of socialism has always been a rich government and a poor population of citizens.

Commonly this occurs through heavy taxation with the idea that the government will then redistribute the wealth through government-run programs. But since the money first goes to the government that is where most of it stays. The members of government take care of themselves first. The rest of us get token leftovers.

Two primary examples of this type of governing are social security and health care. I do not believe that Congress is truly concerned with either program because neither program will personally affect them. When members of Congress retire, they do not have to worry about social security because they will continue to receive their present salary at taxpayer's expense the rest of their lives.

No matter what the final health care package looks like, it won't affect members of Congress, because they have a gold-plated health care plan in place for themselves, also at the taxpayer's expense.

I do not know how many taxes, regulations and programs our government has put in place for the American citizens while exempting themselves from them. But, I am sure that if we knew the complete list, we would all be appalled.

I highly respect our American Constitution. But I think that there needs to be one change. There should be a provision in the Constitution that states that members of the government must be subject to all taxes, laws, regulations, and programs to which non-government citizens are subject. Then, and only then, could we rationally talk about some type of equality.

Commentary by Steve Casey, Stonewall, LA

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