Footing the bill

In this country we operate as a democracy where the citizens elect individuals to represent them in management of the country, state, city or town. Their mandate is to see that all citizens are treated equally and fairly for the benefit of all.

In this country members elected to Congress, the Maine Legislature, some cities and towns and those they appoint and hire to carry out the duties of government, have medical insurance and a pension much more lucrative than Social Security.

If we are practicing democracy in Maine, why is there a reported 166,000 (nearly 13 percent of our population) without medical insurance? Why are the state and city employees comforted with a pension that provides double, or more, the benefits of those with Society Security or no pension at all?

Are our elected and appointed officials supposed to look out for all of us? Or do they come first? Is this what democracy is all about? Of course not. As soon as the citizens get fed up with working almost half a year just to keep “the privileged” in the comfort they have voted for themselves and to which they have become accustomed, things will change. With the national, state and city debt rapidly increasing with mounting repayment requirements, the young generation will have to foot the bill. Is it too late to get the situation under control? Arthur Tilley Bangor