For too many years, the American government, both state and national, has deferred needed repairs of our factories, schools, roads and utilities. Instead of taking action to do the major surgery that was required, government has tried to mend the cracks in our nation’s infrastructure with chewing gum and bailing wire.

Then, just to add to our problems, it burdened us with those awful agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA. Guess what? Our factory CEOs, looking at the greener grass on the other side of the fence (cheap labor in China and India), decided it would be more profitable to not waste any money on updating American factories. So they shuttered the old, outdated U.S. factories, moved to China, India, etc., and constructed the most up-to-date manufacturing plants, all in foreign countries. With that move came the loss of millions of American jobs. This was done in order to escape ecological rules, to avoid humane labor laws and wages, and to lower their taxes.

Let’s look at other national blunders. Let’s examine the excellent effort of our legislators to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Remember President Bush stated that we had become “addicted” to foreign oil and needed to drill our own wells and find alternate ways to supply our need. One answer: build windmills to generate electricity. Great! We were on our way to independence.

But something happened on the way to utopia. Americans, in their usual impatient nature of “I want it and I want it now,” could not wait until that old factory up north was completely renovated to begin manufacturing windmills. No, our government and company CEOs decided to place orders with China to make the parts. There went all those desperately needed jobs that would have paid enough for American workers to afford homes, food and cars.

The current administration cannot make any progress when it is thwarted with constant roadblocks. Until we can find unity of purpose and learn to mediate our differences, this nation will continue to spiral into oblivion.
Dolores Guinn
Horseshoe Bay