Opinions are great, everybody has one. Adult decisions, however — like voting — require facts. With regard to the 2016 presidential elections, some of the most pressing concerns for the American people are health, wealth, food, education and jobs. In that context, we need to decide, as citizens, what is a right and what is privilege.

In most industrialized countries, access to good jobs, education and health care is considered a right. Sadly, the United Sates ranks 27th out of 34 in health care — nowhere near the top. In education, we rank 9th out of 34. Jobs, we rank 20th out of 34. We have the highest infant mortality rate and the shortest life expectancy of any industrialized nation.

A recent opinion piece by Dale Landrith, Sr., focused on the term “free” in the context of several of these issues — specifically health and education. Most adults understand that most things are not “free.” The important issue is how a “citizen’s right” might be paid for, and who pays; it’s about economic equity and fairness, and who benefits.

I support a proposed tax on Wall Street financial speculation to finance the right to higher education. (We should all remember the financial speculation that crashed our economy, as well as much of the world’s.) The health care right would be financed by a shift in where the money comes from. That is, shifting from premiums paid to greedy for-profit insurance and pharmaceutical corporations to a moderate increase in income tax to pay for a universal, not-for-profit health care system. The tax increase would be significantly less than the exorbitant premiums that Americans pay, more than any industrialized nation in the world. The outcome, according to independent economists, would save the average family approximately $5,000 a year.

Mr. Landrith references the concept of “trickle down economics,” which is the theory that as the wealthy get wealthier, the benefits will trickle down to everyone with more and better jobs. To date, there has not been a single piece of evidence that “trickle down” has ever worked. Clearly, the years following the economic bust that came of President Bush’s tenure, where Wall Street gambled and lost, and we ran two unfunded wars, has not shown that to be true.

As to “business taxes,” some interesting historical facts are available. In 1934, corporations accounted for 86 percent of income tax revenue to the Federal Budget compared to 14 percent from individuals. In 1950, the corporate income tax revenue dropped to 66 percent, dropping again to 33 percent in 1970, and to 16 percent in 1990. It was 23 percent in 2014. Individual income tax went from 14 percent of budget revenue in 1934 to 77 percent in 2014.

Many of us know some of the mechanics for this shift: tax loopholes such as “Tax Inversion” for shifting work overseas, and dummy corporations that hide revenues in off-shore tax havens, to name a couple.

Everybody has an opinion, and this is mine. For critical decisions, such as voting for president, facts behind the opinions are vitally important. There was a time when we could depend on the national media to provide us with the facts. That time is no more. “Journalism” has devolved into worshiping cults of personality, not honing the art of investigative reporting.

We must be informed, we must get involved. “You have the right to remain silent,” but I don’t recommend it. Be the change you desire.

Jerry Provencher,

Bath