As the election draws closer, we will continue to hear more about fairness.

Fairness in America today means demanding more taxes from those evil rich. The top 5 percent currently pay almost 60 percent of taxes, but it is still not enough.

Meanwhile, many noble poor folks not only pay no taxes, but also half of them get some of what the rich paid in.

Fairness in America today means demanding more free services from our government. Meanwhile, the government borrows more to pay for our failures because we can’t take care of ourselves.

Fairness in America today means mortgaging our grandchildren’s financial future.

Meanwhile, we argue over the prudence of increasing our debt by just another trillion dollars.

Fairness in America today means we cannot criticize those who suck up our social programs generation after generation without working to improve themselves.

Meanwhile, we vilify and condemn those who pay for it.

Fairness in America today means if we successfully come here illegally, we should get an expedited path to citizenship and go to college free, i.e. the Dream Act. Meanwhile, if we are a citizen, we must borrow to attend college.

Fairness in America today means we must pass a drug test to get a job in order to pay taxes. Meanwhile, people can receive welfare without any drug testing.

Fairness in America today means spreading the wealth around, rather than spreading around the understanding that even the less talented among us, with hard work and ambition, can produce success and a comfortable life for themselves.

Fairness in America today means apologizing for and penalizing our successes and is less about being fair and more about fairy tales that we can all have it all, without working for it.

Greg Theriault, Skowhegan