Pass the hat

Dear Editor:I am a 69-year-old semi-retired person. It grieves me greatly to see our wonderful nation burdened with national and state debt. Maybe I'm writing you to relieve my frustration, but I do believe whole-heartedly that we as a nation have forgotten some plain old-fashioned thinking and the word that comes to mind is "teamwork." This isn't just a government problem. It is now a country problem. It is way past the time to lay blame or point fingers. Those people who are intellectually gifted should realize this, but there will always be the critics who will not help our country. This is "The Plan": to have a yearly voluntary contribution from every major oil company, every large corporation, every professional sports team, every large and small business, and last but not least, every American family and individual throughout the nation. We will use slogans such as "Let's save America" and "If we don't, who will?" To me this is the bottom line and certainly would separate the "me, myself and I's" from the patriots of a wonderful nation that has so abundantly given us the riches and opportunities that we all enjoy since the inception of the Declaration of Independence. It is now time to give back to America. Those thinking differently are not facing hardcore reality and are only sticking their heads in the sand. It will take courage and fortitude to implement this plan, but America is worth it, don't you think? -- Gavin Duncan, Downey

********** Published: February 17, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 44