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Don't know about you but I'm anxious to put 2007 to bed.

This year has brought extreme controversy to our nation. It has been a year filled with weirdness, chaos and no accountability. The cost of living is on the increase while our paychecks decrease. Bad things are happening to good people and bad people and politicians are getting away with atrocities toward American citizens and our nation in record numbers.

The cost of fuel keeps rising with no end in sight; this affects everything Americans do. Transportation costs increase, therefore consumer goods increase. Energy rates go up and your power or gas bill takes a jump.

Health care costs are on the rise and insurance companies have decreased coverage while at the same time increasing premiums.

Homes across this nation are being foreclosed on at a tremendous rate. In some areas the foreclosure rate exceeds the sales rate.

Crime rates are increasing and violent crimes are becoming more and more horrific. State and county budgets are being cut across the nation, which will affect law enforcement, who in most cases are already underfunded and understaffed.

More and more kids are dropping out of school. The cost of higher education for children in low- to middle-income families is unreachable. The typical high school senior graduates with less knowledge than required 10 years ago. When you talk with these kids, it is as though they have nothing to look forward to. Sad.

The same cost increases that affect you affect your employer, placing them in a no-win situation. Insurance rates are up. Depending on the size of the business, employers are required to offer and pay a portion of the premium for health insurance, and this increases the expenses covered for you by your employer.

Add to that the increase in energy cost, transportation cost, expenses of supplies, etc., and their bottom line is taking a substantial hit. This is reflected in the amount of any annual increase or cost of living raise they can give their employees.

Jan. 19 is a monumental day. This is the first time Nevada will participate in the presidential campaign. I don't care who people choose to stand for in the caucus, I just hope like hell that there is a huge turn-out.

This is a process that helps to determine the presidential candidates for the November election. Don't let yourself, your family, and your fellow Americans down. We owe the folks that came before us, fought and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and the right to vote and get involved. Suck it up and follow through.

Some are bothered that this is not an individual vote done in the privacy of a voting booth, that it is standing in a group for a particular candidate and waiting for them to take a head count.

Who the hell cares how it is done?

The fact that you have the privilege to stand at all is of great importance. I myself will be excited to stand for the candidate of my choice and I could care less who knows. If the candidate I select doesn't make the count, then you can be damn sure I will have a second and third in mind. I will have done the research and have my ducks in a row.

The position of president of the United States is not sought for the paycheck received. It is the power and prestige of the office and title that makes the position desirable. Millions upon millions of dollars are spent promoting candidates who, if elected, will earn a few hundred thousand a year.

Think, don't blink. Every candidate running has a plan or solution for the various problems and issues plaguing this nation. Your job is to determine who among these candidates has the integrity, the man- or womanhood, and the guts to get the job done.

Face facts. I think the first two years of their presidency will be spent primarily cleaning up the mess left behind by the previous administration. Then they have two more years to gain the faith and trust of the American people so they can run for and win re-election. The chance of our new president putting this country back on track in the first term is slim.

Proceed with caution, my friend. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don't accept the promise without researching the solution, and definitely question any promise that is not backed with a plan or solution.

The integrity of the Oval Office has deteriorated and diminished through the years, regardless of the party who occupied it. Special interest groups appear to be running this country. I have an idea, what about a special interest group called "By the people and for the people"?

Seems to me when a mistake or blunder is made on Capital Hill, you first hear the lie. When that doesn't work it is followed by deny, deny. Then comes blame, blame without retribution.

Blame on faulty intelligence, blame on a specific person or department.

Seems as though the practice of deceiving the American people is performed on a continual basis. If practice makes perfect, then our political leaders have made the running of this country "perfection in the art of deception."

Mark your calendar: Saturday, Jan. 19, the Republican Caucus will be at 9 a.m., and the Democratic Caucus will be at 11 a.m. Call your local party office for the caucus location for your district or read Mark Waite's story in this issue -- it's on page one.

If you are happy with the current state of affairs in this country, stay on the couch. If not, attend the caucus, and be sure to hold your head high so you will be counted.