The folks at the top of the present administration just can't wrap their collective minds around the idea that we don't want their brand of so-called health “reform” as they continue to cram it down our throats. In their view, government always knows best.

Reminds me of a story they tell on a famous movie star whose name I won't reveal but one you would recognize in a heartbeat. During my crazy movie-making days, I had contact with some of these folks and I never ceased to be amazed at the gullibility of many of them.  This story comes to me by way of a contact that I still have in Hollywood.

It seems that this famous God's-gift-to-the-world wannabe in his pre-star days had a couple of roommates to share living expenses.  Our hero decided that he would like to have a cat for a pet.

He found a little kitten at the pound and brought it into the apartment to the dismay of his roommates who possessed no attraction for creatures of the animal kingdom.  The kitty came with all of the accoutrements of a new feline — toys, cat food, and, of course, the essential litter box.

The cat was left alone all day while the roomies beat the streets for that elusive part in a movie and, thereby, stardom.  Our soon-to-be, big-screen idol would check the litter box every night when he returned home only to find it unused!  Unbeknown to him, his roommates would daily empty the little kitty's deposits in the litter box before the cat owner got home.

After several days of this, our hero, growing very concerned, took his cat to the vet, who found the little kitten in good health and said not to worry the little creature would respond to nature when the time came.

This empty-litter-box caper went on for over two weeks and our hero became more and more concerned that the little kitten might explode.

Finally, after almost three weeks of the charade, the roommates slipped out into the city street, collected the droppings (sometimes known as “road apples”) of the tour horse and carriage trade and deposited a whole shovelful into the little kitten's litter box.

When our movie-hopeful owner of the cat came home, he about had a cat himself when he saw what he thought was the result of three weeks of kitty denial.  Another trip to the vet assured him his kitten was in perfect health.  He was unconvinced and got rid of the little kitten much to the approval of his roommates. They never told him what they had done.

This little ditty brings us to the subject of government's attempt to load the litter boxes of American taxpayers:

Americans rummage around hopefully each day in the litter boxes of life — searching for some benevolent result of big Federal government.

 We often find nothing, because instead of adding to our lives, the feds stealthily rob rather than improve our lives via income taxes, other federal taxes galore and wasteful spending of every description.  Then, in their munificent spirit, politicians of certain inclinations suddenly load us down with great shovelfuls of “gifts” in the form of “pork,” bailouts, economic stimulus boondoggles, outrageous environmental programs and, oh yes, a complete dismantling of our healthcare system. And we are expected to rejoice.

They are presently proposing to scoop, into our lives, an over-inflated replacement behemoth of a health system that we not only don't want but can't afford — either individually or as a nation.  The fact that we can't manage to pay for it seems to bother them not one whit!  Let our kids and grandchildren worry about it!

In survey after survey, the American people have spoken loudly but those at the top of the governmental ladder remain deaf to the wishes of the majority while all the time telling us we don't know what's best — but “Father Government” does.

When folks are no longer willing to tolerate these governmental “road apples,” then it's time for a change that we can really “believe in.” And if the purveyors of litter box abundance don't wake up, that's exactly what is about to happen in elections later this year and in 2012.

And good riddance!

John Brock is a retired college professor and, newspaper editor/publisher, who lives in Georgetown County.  His Web site is www.SouthernObserver.com He can be reached by mail at this newspaper, or by e-mail at brock@johnbrock.com