Have you had enough with this economy: the high prices at the gas pumps ($3.92/gallon – regular); the rising cost of flipping on a light switch; writing out a $1,800 health care check each month for you and your spouse, praying that if you become ill, you can pay the deductible; or shelling out $3.69 for a gallon of milk, while a family-of-two’s weekly grocery bills are now hitting triple digits just for the bare necessities?  Particularly when much of our produce, rice, beef and dairy products are home-grown, right here in the Valley?

Lee Iacocca, who says he hardly recognizes this country anymore — and we agree — echoes what we are truly feeling in his latest book, “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?”

No, this editorial is not about which political side of the aisle you sit on, or a book review… Iacocca has a real important message to share — Americans must pull together as a matter of survival.

In the book, Iacocca, most known for Chrysler’s revival in the 1980s, along with co-author Catherine Whitney of “What Women Really Want” (“How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class, and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live”) fame, remind us that we can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. We all have a role to play in building a better future — before it’s too late.

We agree with Iacocca’s C List and philosophical views on what a good leader must be — Curious, Creative, Communicate well, possess Character, Courage, Conviction, and Charisma, must be Competent, have Common Sense and the biggest C, be able to handle a Crisis. But Iacocca left one “C” out, and it is Candidness. We find his to be refreshing.

And in the true spirit of patriotism, we thought we would share a few excerpts from the book.

Iacocca begins by writing, “Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane, much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course. Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!”  

The moral to that litany: Get out to vote, make your voice heard! That means the baby boomer’s parents, the baby boomers, Generation X and especially Generation “Y”, who say they don’t trust the politicians to represent their interests, so they don’t vote.  

Iacocca attributes what he calls the current economic conditions, “A Hell of a Mess,” to a lack of leadership.

“We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.”

The moral of the story: Vote for someone that demonstrates and has a proven record in leadership abilities and qualities. Don’t vote for a pretty face or a slick talker.

And Iacocca goes on to challenge you to think of what is needed most in a leader.

“Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?…Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina …Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing…    Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem.”

The Moral of the story: Pay attention to whom you elect. Demand more from your local politicians and be sure they possess the “C” qualities. Remember local politicians typically move on to higher office.

We at the Sun Post couldn’t have put it any better. We have had enough!