AUSTERITY -- MY SUGGESTION

I just returned from Italy.  It was a great time I had.  I discovered that the Italians have the same problems that we have.  The big banks don't want to be controlled, the politicians don't want to give up their life style while they expect every other citizen to do just that.  They have a wonderful system for keeping gasoline prices low.  They seem to be rather successful at keeping them below $9.00 per gallon. They do that by quoting the prices on the signs in front of the pumping stations to the fourth decimal.  Like this: 1.7938 € -- per litre, of course.  You do the math. 
[6.79 €]  That, x $1.25 = $8.49 That is not an exaggeration.  No wonder that they drive cars that get 18 kilometers to the liter.  That's about 11 miles x 3.8 = 41.8 miles to the gallon.  
I don't know about you, but as far as I am concerned, I have to ask myself if it would be better to keep drilling or to spend a penny more on engineering our vehicles to get more miles to the gallon.  But then, that wouldn't be very favorable to the Keystone pipeline, would it?  Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Let me try another suggestion.  It addresses entitlements.  In fact I dare to take on the biggest entitlement of them all: Taxes to the government.  I suggest that all taxes be cut back to 0.  In case you're mistaking that for an "oh", what it really is, is a zero.  No entitlements for anybody.  None.  The country has to turn itself over to the open market concept of financial gain, 100%.  Let the entrepreneurs do what they will.  If someone wants to build a bridge, pay for it.  If someone wants to build a pipeline, pay for it.  If someone wants to be president, find willing benefactors or pay for it yourself because taxes are forbidden.  You want to help the president, pay for it or find a benefactor.  You get sick, pay for the care or die.  You want to go to school, find someone who will teach you for a price that you can afford.
It's the best way.  There would be a very clear cut division between the haves and the have-nots. Soon, all the have-nots would be dead and the haves would slowly, by turns turn into have-nots until there would be only one standing.  That person would then be a dictator and a taxation law could then be created.  All that would be missing, of course, would be someone able and willing to pay the tax.  Ah, yes, I guess I forgot that part.  
Oh well, no plan is perfect.  Not even mine.

Now that I have confessed to not being perfect, you sure as shooting do not have to feel constrained to cry at my funeral.