HILLSBORO — “Actions speak louder than words.”

In all my years, I have heard preachers, politicians and other leaders expound upon their lofty priorities. Those priorities always seem to contain, near the top of the list: children, education, food and shelter for the hungry, care for the old, the handicapped and the ill.

Lofty words aside, rare-to-never have we seen the concerted and sustained initiatives and policies necessary to eliminate recurring problems, most of which are associated with poverty.

In my early years, in stark contrast to their mutual plights, many poor people scraped to survive while a few very wealthy people lived in glitter.

Not that different from today, come to think of it.

There were several differences compared to the present, however. One was that even the wealthy cared for others, including the poor.

Talk about a tax tea party: Check out the tax brackets in the 1930s, ’40s and even up to the ’70s and ’80s. The rich paid an unbelievable share of their wealth, but they were still very wealthy and seemed, for the most part, content with it. They considered it a privilege and a patriotic duty to pay taxes.

They would have considered those who try every means to avoid taxes or reduce their share as unpatriotic. The day after Republicans gained control of Congress with George W. Bush as president, I recall overhearing three men at a restaurant. They were quite pleased with the situation.

One said, “Well, I am going to get mine while Bush is president.”

Very apropos.

“Me” and “mine” became operational terms affecting public policy starting with the Ronald Reagan presidency. “Less government” seemed the way to go (meaning few, if any, regulations and controls as opposed to, say, government in the form of military spending, which went through the roof).

At the same time, corporatism began to take over. Formerly local and community-based businesses moved to huge “centers” from which decisions were communicated to branch offices and customers.

From utilities to banking, deregulation, privatization and mergers left the public at the mercy of computerized telephone or Internet communications with “officials” of business.

We, the people, lost control and the lobbyists, legislators and top business officials called the shots and ignored all else — including reason, in many cases.

Now we hear a call for a return to the days of “me” with tea party protests. And we hear some curious statements.

One of the organizers at a recent tea party referenced the revolutionary pamphlet Common Sense by Thomas Paine (to encourage revolt against taxation).

However, here’s what Paine said: “I care little about riches as any man . . . I care not how affluent some may be, provided that none be miserable in consequence of it.”

He was arguing that government should devise a way to prevent poverty rather than dealing with associated problems after great masses are already poor.

Paine wrote: “The great mass of the poor . . . are become an hereditary race. . . . It is next to impossible for them to get out of that state . . . themselves . . . this mass increases in all . . . countries called civilized. More persons fall into it, than get out of it.”

Paine wrote this in 1795. He had suggestions concerning ways to permanently prevent poverty and we have had plenty of time to do it. Note that he spoke of “they” rather than “me” and “mine.”

Harley Johnson is a member of the Board of Contributors, Central Texans who write columns regularly for the Tribune-Herald. He is a retired school superintendent.