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ARIE KLAPHOLZ, COLUMNIST 10:45 a.m. ET April 28, 2017

My friend and mentor, Irv Homer, used to call random observations and thoughts brain droppings. He offered many of them, and often.

Most progressives would have you believe government is good and bigger government is better. Most progressives I know believe government micromanagement is wonderful. Most progressives believe not only does big government benefit the general population, but that it is the only way for the general population to properly survive.

However, the only unions growing today are government employee unions. My work experience and service as a shop steward for a number of years in two very different work environmentsis this: Unions exist to protect the employee from the bad practices and abuses of the employer. If government is so benevolent and so good, why is there a need for government employee unions?

I guess governments are not so good after all, and need to be restrained from poor behavior and abuses.

Its April. Many people have recently learned what their forced contribution to supporting the government totals is. My own contributions were more than $20,000. Almost 200 years ago, Chief Justice John Marshall said the power to tax is the power to destroy.

Progressives are so intent on forcing income equality, they are willing to destroy the very fabric of a free, capitalistic society. Again and again we are told the rich dont pay their fair share. President Obama repeatedly spoke of a $200,000 threshold to designate who is rich.

Here are the facts progressives overlook. The top 50 percent of taxpayers pay 97 percent of all income tax collected. The top 10 percent pay 71 percent. The top 1 percent pay 40 percent of all income tax collected.

These are 2014 figures, the most recent available. What escapes all logic is if you went from marginal 39 percent to 80 percent, you could not collect enough to make a spit of difference to Washingtons spending habits.

That is where the real problem lies, and until 500 of the 535 elected members of Congress are replaced with sane, smart and financially astute officials, we will never have enough tax receipts to satiate the financial morons who run Washington.

We only have ourselves to blame, because we keep sending people to Washington who are more interested in giving away free stuff than trying to pay for what is necessary. Proof of this: During the Obama administration, overspending and misspending doubled the national debt in just eight short years.

It seems progressives have adopted a philosophical and moral position as arbiters of truth, with no room for opposing views. Across this country, it appears diversity of thought is not encouraged, not fostered and in most places, not allowed.

Whether it is Ann Coulter or Condoleezza Rice denied speaking engagements, to not listen and get involved in a meaningful dialogue is the height of fascism. The Supreme Court allowed the Nazis to march in Skokie, Illinois.

To add insult to injury, violent protestors wear black attire and masks showing they are not brave enough to show the world who they are. Someone needs to teach progressives about free speech and the First Amendment.

Arie Klapholz retired to Ocean Pines after 33 years of civil service in construction management and 40 years in newspaper production services.

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