That grand lady, the U.S.S. United States of America, is about to set sail. But, wait — this grand lady is top heavy. She doesn’t have enough ballast. And, as anyone from Bath would say, if the ship is top heavy (without enough ballast), there is no way in heaven or hell that grand lady is going to set sail.

Top heavy means government waste, fraud and abuse are out of control. Now is the time to rein in those who would scam the system for their own benefit, without a thought for those who most need legitimate help.

Enough said. Let’s charge forward anyway, into the icy waters of the North Atlantic — full of obstacles — regardless of the outcome.

Does that sound like history repeating itself? If so, people can learn from history and devote themselves to righting the ship before it sails.

Michael Boom, Lewiston