Guest Comment: May I incite your insight?

Can Green Valley/Sahuarita intelligence and talent be tapped to voice the real issues facing our great nation?

We need to prioritize the issues and decide who has the background and experience to lead the nation. Who can best deal with the leaders of other nations, and deal with the quagmire called the U.S. Congress. Decide not on the basis of race, religion, gender, home state, or stand on narrow self-serving issues.

The U.S. Comptroller General says failure to come to grips with the problems could hold the seeds of the U. S.’s demise. He cites three major reasons for the fall of the Roman Republic: -declining moral and political civility at home, an overconfident and overextended military in foreign lands, fiscal irresponsibility by the central government. Sound familiar?

Let’s review the issues:

IRAQ — American lives, many dollars and global reputation are at stake. Yet relatively short-terrn with the best U.S minds working to end it ASAP.

ECONOMY —History shows it has to, and will right itself, despite what the government does to screw it up.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE — A cruel political hoax to win votes. A promise unlikely to ever be kept. Consider the cost of Medicare/Medicaid.

IMMIGRATION — No new law required.. Simply a guest worker program, with passes issued in Mexico, by the U.S. - for identification. Then enforce the immigration law, and wage and hour law, Stop using the term illegal immigrants; they are illegal aliens. (Look in your dictionary.) No Amnesty; it is unfair to legal immigrants.

THE FISCAL PROBLEM — The Federal government cannot continue to spend beyond its means forever. Stop passing unfunded laws and laws the states have to fund.

MISDIRECTED CONGRESS — Congress is on a continuous competitive cocktail party. Instead of for the good of the people, their actions are for the good of special interest groups. An overhaul of the whole lobbying structure is in order. Stop the pork barrel nonsense.

NATIONAL SECURITY?? ?-- The U.S. is more vulnerable to terrorism than we want to admit. Can we shut down our foreign bases and move strength back to the U.S.? We simply can’t afford to support the whole world. An added benefit may be a much improved relationship with other countries if we get our nose out of their business. Should Russia be irritated with the proposed Missile Defense Shield? Remember the furor over the Cuban Missile crisis?

PEACE WITH RUSSIA— Don’t bash Putin for doing what he thinks is best for his country. With 50% of the world’s natural resources in Russia, it’s better to be their friends. We’ve used up much of ours.

ENERGY— especially nuclear. But also consider an Interstate Railroad System like the Interstate Highway System. Rail offers huge savings in the use of oil. Not just high speed trains, but auto/passenger trains to Florida; truck/trailer/passenger trains from California. Put the luxury of the Space Program on hold and divert these dollars to railroads.

EDUCATION REFORM - Our school dropout rates and low math and science positions are appalling. Ask teachers, not government, how to overhaul education.

JUSTICE SYSTEM - When did people decide they’ll decide which laws apply to them? When you exceed the speed limit, are you giving a good example to those who think it’s OK to break other laws? “Cruel and unusual punishment” vs “punishment should fit the crime” needs some serious examination.

LOCAL ISSUES - One issue transcends all others. In three words, our Precious water supply! Solutions?

Allow further building only to the extent that we can assure sustainable water availability.

Extend the CAP pipeline to Elephant Head Road per original plan, and build a water retention lake at Canoa Ranch.

Insist the Rosemont/Sumitomo mine use CAP water, not groundwater IF the mine cannot be stopped.

Now the challenge. Can we awaken the silent majority? Will you mail a copy of this palaver and/or your take on the major issues to your address list, ask them to do the same? And to all of the politicians at all levels you can think of.? Your time and stamps could be one of the best contributions you could make this year.

As President Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Joe Olles is a former U.S. Naval Officer and business management consultant to Caterpillar and Hyster dealers for 35 years. He is a retired full-time resident and community volunteer.

The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily this newspaper’s.

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