America can't survive without middle class

Predictions of what will occur to our economy are preaching platitudes rather than addressing hard reality. The country continues to consider health care reforms and expanding the national debt to pay for this and stimulus packages of questionable lasting benefit, common sense tells us that at some point the piper will need to be paid. The middle class and their businesses have shouldered significant portions of the tax burden, they are now being decimated by lack of government support while handouts like free cell phones with monthly minutes for welfare recipients and, financial gifts to resettle and support foreign immigrants are being granted.

In order to re-establish the taxpaying base, middle class survival is critical. Either we continue to print 'monopoly' money without secure sources to support its value or we will need to find creditors. In either case the dollar will begin to depreciate in value.

It would appear that this country needs to reintroduce manufacturing instead of continuing outsourcing just about anything we used to make or grow. Even our service calls are increasingly outsourced.

The middle class work ethic and productive enterprise needs to be reinvigorated. The cost of importing seems to increase and certainly makes us more dependent on others while decreasing available jobs.

When this is combined with a growing welfare and illegal immigrant population who pay little and are provided free schooling, food and health care, it is no wonder a rosy, secure future is hard to contemplate.

Return to our origins based on self-sufficiency might be the best long term approach. Perhaps, as some of our forefathers recommended, if you don't pay taxes, you shouldn't have the privilege of voting and this should also apply to our congressmen and women who fail to share in the burden of supporting our country and government.

Roger Nosal

Arlington Heights