Three steps to fix our national deficit

The October issue of Money magazine has a long article “what no one is telling you” about Medicare. The writer identifies the problems but offers no solutions. I see a solution that should be acceptable to all political segments of our country.

1. The article indicates that Canada, Germany and the U.K., all advanced industrialized countries, spend about $4,000 less per person on health care than in the U.S. and have a higher life expectancy. Adopting one of those health care plans would save more than $1.2 trillion a year with our population of 320 million. Doing away with Obamacare would please most Republicans.

2. The article also points out that the Bush tax cut costs the U.S. Treasury close to $200 billion a year in lost tax collection. Doing away with this would reduce the deficit by another $200 billion annually and would please most Democrats.

3. Oct. 15 marked 60 years since I was wounded in Korea serving as an infantry man in the 24th Infantry Division, and the next day I was flown to a hospital in Japan. Both of these countries are now rich and independent and can fend for themselves as can the European countries, and we surely can phase out the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the next five years saving another $400 billion a year. This would please presidential candidate Ron Paul and the Libertarians as well as the left-wing Democrats.

With this plan there would be enough money to put people to work immediately fixing our infrastructure and eliminate the national deficit within a generation. Our grandchildren can then create their own deficits.

John Walter

Arlington Heights