We, the people, are losing our freedom through legislation, taxation, regulation and out-of-control spending by our federal government. We, the people, will not lose our freedom on the battlefield. America has a mighty military with brave men and women serving our country. Many have laid down their lives so we can enjoy this extraordinary blessing of freedom.

America has been a shining example to those who yearn for the freedom we enjoy, yet we Americans are letting our freedom erode away and be snatched from us by a federal government that is out of control. More and more I believe we will be hearing the phrase, "I can't believe this is happening in America."

President Obama ran his campaign on change. He has been absolutely true to his word on his vision of change. Since his inauguration, we have seen President Obama encourage the passage of speedy legislation, such that some congressmen have complained they haven't had the necessary time to read the bills. An example of this would be the stimulus package. I learned a long time ago that when someone tries to rush you into buying something, you need to stop in your tracks. The haste is a red flag warning.

Why is President Obama in such a hurry? Could it be that if we, the people, understand what's in the legislation we would oppose it?

Former President Bush began a bailout that has continued under President Obama. Banks, AIG insurance and the auto industry have received taxpayer dollars. The federal government is in the driver's seat in controlling these groups with new regulations. There is no free cheese in the mouse trap. Any business or group who takes taxpayer dollars can expect federal control.

I believe the stimulus bill was nothing more than a huge wish list passed by politicians to put pork on their own plates. The kids finally got into the candy store with liberal Democrats in control of the White House, Senate and House. They are gobbling up everything in sight and trying to grab control of every area of our lives, and the American people are the ones who will end up with the belly ache.

It is an outrage that so much money is being spent. The national debt previously was spoken of in billions; not it's trillions. Will we have huge inflation? Will our dollar completely collapse? There is talk from members of the Obama administration hinting at a oneworld currency. Is that the direction we are going?

As to the cap and trade bill, the president says he is concerned about the environment. He told us as a candidate that he would not increase taxes on anyone making less than $250,000, yet legislation has been passed in the House that could increase the cost of energy for all Americans. Several Republicans joined with Democrats to help pass this bill in the House. New costly regulations on the energy companies would certainly be passed on to we, the people. Some view this as an indirect taxation of the consumer.

India and China aren't going along with the president's new environmental policies. American business could be strangled by regulations from our own government. There is talk in Washington of a national sales tax along with a tax on sodas. Politicians are nickel-and-diming us to death while wasting a phenomenal amount of money.

The health care plan is absolutely the most dangerous government plan I have seen in my lifetime. The cost is being bounced all over the place in Washington. No one seems to know how much it will cost. Guess we, the people, are just supposed to trust the politicians. As for me, I call the health care plan Politically Correct Euthanasia. Sooner or later the bureaucrats will figure out that Americans are living too long. Could it be that our health care system is already superior? It probably is; however, Social Security and Medicare costs are rising, so think of how much money could be saved if we, the people, just didn't live so long. If bureaucrats decide when we can visit a doctor, have a life-saving test, receive surgery or get medication, they will essentially be determining who lives and who dies.

I believe the health care plan will be a formula of delay + deny = death. It is not about compassion but control. I don't see our federal government under President Obama as being compassionate and caring. I see him pushing, dragging, charming and strong-arming his health care plan down the throats of the American people. I mistrust him on health care for the following reasons: He claims to want health care for all people at a reasonable price, as if to level the availability of care among poor and wealthy alike. However, a compassionate president would include the most vulnerable in our nation: the unborn. If he had true compassion, he would speak out loudly against abortion, especially late-term abortion.

There is so much good about America, and I love my country, but abortion is a dark cloud over America just as evil as was slavery. Since Roe vs. Wade, millions of American babies have been murdered with their little bodies thrown into garbage dumpsters, toilets and the trash heaps of society. I applaud those Democrats who have already stated they will not support the Obama health care plan if federally funded abortion is included.

I think the government should look at the malpractice costs to doctors. Their insurance costs drive up the cost for all Americans. Frivolous lawsuits, unfortunately, have become part of the American way of life. I also would like for the medical community to take a serious look at cost reductions. When a bottle of antacid that would cost a few dollars at WalMart costs $60 in the hospital, there's a problem.

I would like to see government initiatives to encourage more doctors and nurses. Will the Obama plan drive individuals from the medical profession? Does President Obama plan to set salary caps for doctors and health care professionals? The president says health care in America will be improved under his plan, but how can that be true? With millions more people added to the system, it looks like rationing and lower-quality care to me.

The federal government is out of control on spending. Waste of taxpayer dollars has been going on for years, so during these extreme economic times I would like to see "real change" as the president promised. I want our leaders to conserve energy and save money in the same way they lecture us. I want to see them practice what they preach. I want to see leadership, not "liarship." If a leader says one thing and does something else, then he or she is setting an example of "liarship" not leadership.

President Obama supports energy-saving light bulbs, and he is looking at how to save energy in the White House. I applaud his efforts; however, he flew to Colorado to sign legislation into law that could have been signed in Washington. His actions did not save energy or money; and when he jets off to New York City and spends an estimated $25,000 to $30,000 on a date with the first lady, I doubt his sincerity about saving energy and money, especially since that amount is more than some Americans make in a year. While Americans are losing their homes and jobs, the White House spent over $300,000 on an Air Force One flyover photo-op of New York City. Again, I doubt the president's sincerity to save energy and money.

The Social Security system has been in deep financial trouble for years. I want to see change that I can believe in. Under President Obama's administration and during these tough times, there should be a comprehensive review of all agencies to reduce costs. However, a few weeks ago, over 600 employees of the Social Security Administration went on a retreat in Arizona, and while some Americans are struggling to make ends meet, these folks stayed at a luxury resort, enjoyed dance lessons, ate high on the hog, and had an overall lovely time, according to the videos I've seen. We, the people, got stuck with their bill for over $700,000 for the three-day retreat. As reported, these folks needed relief from job stress. Well, at least they have jobs, and we, the people, are their employers.

Recently I witnessed the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009, also known as the Clunkers Program, in action. A family member went new car shopping, expecting to benefit from the program as she rightfully understood it. After a day of looking, she decided on a car, and the business manager at the dealership spent 45 minutes waiting on the phone to talk to a government representative. The conversation took 5 minutes. According to government standards, her clunker gets 20 mpg. To qualify for the $3,500 assist, her car was required to get 18 mpg, therefore her clunker didn't qualify. The business manager handed me 10 pages of amendments to the law. This was his second set of amendments, and the law is under continual amending. "There's just so much money for the program," he said. The government controls the administration and standards. In the end, it doesn't work for everyone as we are led to believe. I think this incident is a preview of what we can expect from the Obama health care plan.

In summary, the cap and trade bill has huge regulations on American industry, the cost of which could transfer to we, the people -- the more money out of our pockets, the less freedom to afford the things we want or need. Health care is a life and death issue, literally. No matter what the president says, I believe that what he wants is for bureaucrats to make life-changing decisions on we, the people. Once again, I don't believe it is about compassion but rather control.

In closing, I am reminded of one of the pork projects in the stimulus package. It was for a $3,400,000 tunnel under a road in Florida to allow turtles to cross the road without being hit by passing cars. I believe in protecting turtles when possible, but during hard economic times the money would be better spent to alleviate human suffering.

Several years ago there was a large turtle crossing Sixth Street. I raced to the turtle, picking it up and rescuing it from traffic. The first action of the turtle, though, was to relieve itself on my shoes. Noticing the turtle's actions, I quickly moved by feet.

As an American citizen, my inclination is to want to support our president and government. However, is the federal government ultimately doing to we, the people, what the turtle did to me? So, maybe it's time for we, the people, to move our feet. America doesn't need more large tax increases, extreme regulations, unread speedy legislation and out-of-control spending.

Sandra Orr Tompkins