I don’t consider myself a complete stranger to high-priced gourmet fare. After all, I did enjoy a lovely $100-per-person meal once.

But even that experience in my semi-impressive culinary repertoire did not prepare me to handle gracefully the idea of a 10-course dinner with a price tag of $25,000 per person. And it wasn’t a political fundraiser. Just a fancy meal in an exotic location—Bangkok, Thailand.

Sure, this gastronomic extravaganza included the very best in Cristal champagne, foie gras, truffles, Kobe beef, Beluga caviar and Belon oysters, but come on! Twenty-five grand per person—a price that does not include tax or gratuity or airfare?

I don’t think I could do that even if I were so rich $25,000 would be mere pennies when compared to my vast net worth. There are some things I simply would not be able to get out of my mind like …

• $25,000 could feed a four-person family in the U.S. for 2.3 years.
• $25,000 could feed 100 children in a third-world country for 2.73 years.
• $25,000 could pay for a new 2017 Ford Fusion, with $6,660 left for gasoline.
• $25,000 would cover all costs for 5.85 weeks at the most expensive college in the U.S.—George Washington University—or the entire cost for 1.86 students to get their AA degrees from any number of U.S. community colleges

I could keep going with this, pointing out that $25,000 would cover the full cost to finish the basement at our house. Or paint the entire interior at least five times, but I’ll refrain.

And I’ll try not to get all worked up that the tax and tip alone for a party of two at the extravagant event in Bangkok would boost the tab by at least another $15,000.

Instead, I’m going to be grateful that I live in a country where we are free to do with our money as we please even if that means dropping a load on something as fleeting as a 10-course meal.

If you had $25,000 spare what would you do with it?

You’d have to be living under a rock to not be aware of the turmoil and economic agitations going on in the U.S. And the growing debt. Whoever imagined that the word “trillion” would just roll off our tongues, not causing even a flinch. Too bad we can’t do much about it. The truth is that we are powerless.

But I have to say that it’s kinda’ fun, if not momentarily empowering, to think about what we could do if anyone would let us. I’d be wickedly effective as Governor of Colorado. Oh, the things I would do.

First, I would abolish state income tax. The state would exist rather on fee-income. Coloradans would pay fees for the services they want and use.

I’d adopt a scorched-earth policy in going after government waste and abuse. I’d place a freeze on hiring while I cleared out off the “dead wood” and identified all areas of workplace redundancy within the state government.

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