Happy birthday, USA: Thanks to those who make our freedoms possible

Independence Day, aka the Fourth of July, is a national holiday commemorating our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. I often question how much American History is actually taught in our schools and wonder how many people really understand how much strife and hard work it took to gain independence and form a functioning government.

Whether or not you agree with our elected officials, the good news is that the trajectory of their actions can eventually be changed at the ballot box.

During the next election cycle, I suspect there will be much discussion about the shrinking middle class. Without question, it has become more difficult for middle class America, and the debate over how to fix the issue will likely become quite heated.

There’s a lot of discussion about how much household demographics have changed, but since our nation was established, the government has also changed significantly.

Today the government is involved in almost every aspect of our lives and it seems to have a program for everything.

The Affordable Care Act is a recent example. Health care information is carefully monitored and actually reported on our annual income tax returns.

Under the guidance of President Teddy Roosevelt, the National Park Service was established and federal lands were set aside for all to enjoy. Today, there are an abundance of federal laws and regulations pertaining to the environment.

Under President Franklin Roosevelt, Social Security was established to make certain the elderly could stay out of poverty and live out their lives with dignity. The majority of us contribute into this program but, somehow, instead of it being considered an earned benefit, it’s often called an entitlement.

Over the years, Social Security has expanded to cover other items, such as disability. I’ve already warned that, in the not- too-distant future, the part of the program that covers disability won’t have enough money to pay current benefits.

I’m certain some politicians that will call for the wealthy to pay more to save the program, but I doubt any will mention that a recent study by the agency’s inspector general pointed out that Social Security has overpaid nearly $17 billion in benefits.

I could go on and on, but the point is that our nation was established by rebels who became its Founding Fathers. A key issue that ignited the Revolution was taxation without representation, the root cause of the infamous Boston Tea Party.

As a financial adviser who works with a lot of hardworking people, I have yet to hear anyone say that they pay too little in taxes.

In fact, over the years, I’ve seen many choose to retire in another state because the tax rate is lower than Michigan’s. In other words, in addition to the ballot box, you can also vote with your feet.

At the end of the day, we live in a great nation. Some think government is the solution to problems and issues. Others believe it’s the problem. No matter how you think, remember that we can only have these discussions thanks to the efforts of our Founding Fathers.

We should all be thankful for our freedoms including the ability to work towards financial freedom, and especially for those who gave their lives to make it possible.