Recently, someone who was not identified, took some Wikipedia statistics, to compare  enormous activity in the early 1940s, to activities in recent months and years.

During the 3-1/2 years of World War II, that started with the Japanese bombing  of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and ending with the Surrender of Germany  and Japan in 1945, the USA produced 22 aircraft carriers, 8 battleships, 48  cruisers, 349 destroyers, 420 destroyer escorts, 203 submarines, 34 million tons of  merchant ships, 100,000 fighter aircraft, 98,000 bombers, 24,000 transport aircraft, 58,000 training aircraft, 93,000 tanks, 257,000 artillery pieces, 105,000 mortars 3,000,000 machine guns, and 2,500,000 military vehicles.  

We put 16.1 million men and women in uniform in the various branches of the armed services, invaded Africa, Sicily and Italy, won the battle for the Atlantic, planned and executed D-Day, marched across the Pacific and Europe, developed the atomic bomb and ultimately conquered Japan and Germany.  

Keep in mind that all of this was accomplished without the computers in use today as well as laser guided tools to cut and fit components of all the items manufactured.  

Also, not only did all these items get assembled, the iron/steel/wire/tires/etc were manufactured in the USA in order to accomplish this great feat.

It is worth noting, that during a like 3-1/2 year period, the persons in elected and appointed offices in Washington, DC could not build a functioning web site and implement a health care plan.

Immediately before and during World War 2, the USA had actual leaders who cared more about the USA than they cared about themselves and getting re-elected and a lucrative and ludicrous pension plan.

 I recently stopped at a North Louisiana welcome center and saw a brochure with interesting facts about the state.  

Here is another comparison closer to home.  The 34 story State Capitol Building in Baton Rouge was started in January 1931. 

 It was completed only 14 months later in March 1932.  That was when men went to work, they worked hard all day long.

Compare those 14 months in Baton Rouge to the most recent 14 months in Slidell at the Welcome Center on I 59.  

Crews there have disassembled 5 gazeboes, started assembling 7 covered picnic tables, slightly expanded the parking area, put some paving stones at the entrance to the main building as well as laying new sod and planting a few bushes.  

A few days ago I asked employees at the Welcome Center when the work may be completed.  I was told that it might be close to another year.

With all the cost overruns and delays and unbelievable time to complete a project, is it any wonder that taxes are so high and there is so much government waste? 

This is the case at the federal level in particular and often at the state level.  

This is just one reason that so many USA citizens are so upset with the inept officeholders in Washington, DC.

By Jim Towler