When great and frightening changes are called for by a cabinet member, one would like to see an eager press leap to the task as the free designated protection from all branches of government. This is not being done in today’s well-controlled press. Very few papers of importance covered only slightly, if at all, an interview reported by Financial Times’ Amity Shlaes with Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill.

O’Neill called for changes in the very structure of the current U.S. tax system. He absolutely supports the elimination of taxes on corporations, and the shifting of the tax burden to individuals. The government would work better if taxes were collected in a more direct way from the people.

He also called for the abolition of Social Security and Medicare. Able-bodied adults should save enough on a regular basis so that they can provide for their retirement, health and medical needs.

O’Neill assured Shlaes he was not speaking only for himself. “Not only am I committed to working on this issue, the president is also intrigued about fixing this mess.”

Writer columnist Paul Vitello, on May 24, called O’Neill’s spokesperson at Treasury to confirm this dialogue. The answer was “yes,” that is our position. The quotes were all accurate.

Shlaes, being a conservative, called this “political dynamite” and radical. And evidently without a fuse. What an article to educate the public as to the relationship their very lives have to the Wall Street hustlers. Folks, they are after the last great works of Franklin Roosevelt. And they are giving it the final big push … they think. They will now come in the back door. They will starve the government without taxes and make all programs but defense too large for a place in governmental responsibility. This is well-planned and backed by enormous sums of political monies.

O’Neill says only national defense is a federal responsibility. Really familiar to we old war dogs.

Everett