I am not a tax wizard or financial guru, I'm just a retired person like many of you, but I don't think it takes an expert to realize that most of the problems that occur in our economy are eventually paid for by us taxpayers and consumers.

Three contemporary problems include: China, Mexico; and bad governance right here in the good ole U.S.A. China has the capacity, willpower, and command economy to rip the heart out of manufacturing growth in America. Companies that subcontract their work off-shore to China deserve what they get. The Chinese will become their greatest competitor and because everything can be made cheaper in China, eventually, there won't be anyone in this country working in manufacturing.

Recently, Mexico's President Vincente Fox visited America lobbying state and local governments to make life easier for illegal immigrants living in the United States. The reason? The Inter-American Development Bank has reported that remittance back to Mexico from Mexicans living in the United States now totals $14.5 billion annually. These remittances are the second highest source of income for Mexico, ranking ahead of tourism. It would seem that the Mexican government has been using our country as an escape valve for its unemployment problem. We have been absorbing more than a million illegal workers each year for the past five years or longer, workers that cross our borders, illegally. [Source: United States Congressman Tom Tancredo, Colorado Nov. 2003]

Now we come to our leaders, national, state and local. We could probably use volumes talking about what the state of California is going to cost us, but I'll keep this column politically generic. How many times have we heard our politicians explain, "we have to raise taxes because we just can't cut spending more than we already have." Yet government spending continues to increase, especially at the state and local levels. In 1990 state and local governments spent $549 billion. Today, state and local governments spend $1.1 trillion. [Source: AARP Bulletin -- Oct. 2003]

I find it quite whimsical when our state and local leaders stand up, snap their suspender straps and proudly announce that they will not raise the local portion of our real estate taxes "this time." However, if you look carefully you'll find that your water rates, vehicle tax, certain government utility surcharges, and/or state taxes have been spiked.

We are a bottomless pit of revenue!