20-mule team

Many moons ago, I wrote about the “20-mule team” trying to pull a load out of Death Valley. In that particular year’s economy, we had 11 private taxpayers for every nine government workers, etc. taking money out of the pot. In other words, nine mules were riding on the wagon.

Today the situation has only gotten worse. There are now nine mules putting money into the pot and pulling the wagon and 11 mules taking money out of the pot or riding the wagon.

My simple Pinedale High School math background tells me that if the approximate 50 percent of producers gave up half their income in taxes to the other pot-taking 50 percent, then everyone could live on half income. Since we refuse all austerity measures, the Feds continue to subsidize us by borrowing 1.3 trillion in annual deficits.

I’m still waiting for someone within the school, the city government, the county government, the BLM, the Forest Service, the state government, the Feds or the Army to stand up and say, “My God folks, we are facing a crisis.”

No matter. If we wait just a few more months (one to six), we can all stay unaware and behind the curve and then exclaim, “What the hell just happened.” No planning please. The party’s still rolling.



Bill Johnson, Pinedale