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My dad, George Gregory, came to the Sandpoint area in 1908. I was born and raised in Sandpoint. Graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1956 and the University of Idaho in 1960. I spent five years as a captain in the Army and served in Vietnam with the First Infantry Division.

In what I call “my old days,” common sense prevailed. None of this “far out stuff” that we have today. And I am actually hopeful about the future of our young people and scared at the same time. There are too many problems of which I will expound upon. Both Social Security and Medicare are going broke. It seems like every Tom, Dick and Harry is on SS disability. And our politicians are not doing anything about it. Then there is the national debt, which they also aren’t worried. The Republicans want tax cuts, but they don’t cut spending, so this adds to the deficit. The Democrats don’t want tax cuts, but want to expand the government, thus more debt. And neither party has the “guts” to tackle the situation. With this debt ($1 billion a day for interest), we could have big inflation. Example in the 1930’s in Germany it took a wheel barrow full of money to buy a loaf of bread. It could happen again. Nowadays, the Republicans are not proposing much at all, but Holly Cow, left-wing Democrats sure are. Some of the things are this green new deal which means, no gasoline in 12 years, which means no airplanes. This is the Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, I sort of look at her as a comedian, because her proposals are a joke.

Then some want open borders, no walls, let them come in. I say, you are either for walls and barriers, or you are for open borders, the choice is clear. All this in between stuff, is pure malarkey and political talk and doesn’t work. Then there is Medicare for all, with no idea of how to pay for it. For info, they basically have it in Canada and France, and it is financed by a national sales tax! In British Columbia, the tax is about 15 percent, half for BC, half for the federal government to help finance the health care. Same thing in France. So with Medicare for all, you are going to have to pay. Then there is free college for everyone. How is that going to be paid for. Then it gets worse, people are to get a monthly check, even if they don’t want to work.

With these ideas, should come with away to pay for it, which the only things is “tax the rich” and take away their assets. Some say, if you taxed the rich 100 percent, it wouldn’t come close to paying for these ideas. I like to use this quote, “have you ever been hired by a poor person?” Here is another from Ross Perot, “we need more people in government who are used to signing the front side of a paycheck, not the back side.” The idea here is that they should have more financial responsibility. But with socialistic ideas, I say look at Venezuela , a rich county down the tubes with socialism.

When my friends and I were growing up in Sandpoint, it was an honest day’s dollar for an honest day’s work. Most conservatives, like myself and others, still believe in this principle, then there are the others. Wow, what is going to happen, if people don’t speak up against outlandish ideas.

ROGER GREGORY

Priest River