I am disturbed, and I am old — almost three quarters of a century. What’s disturbing is not my oldness — I don’t feel that most days. It’s our U.S. Congress that disturbs and disappoints, especially those senators who voted on Dec. 4 against better lives for the lower economic classes of our citizens — middle class and the poor — by holding out for tax cuts for the rich, ironically, the ones who could afford to pay more towards our deficit without disturbing the comfort of their lives.

I don’t believe that Republicans and others who cast that unfortunate vote suffer from a superiority complex, an attitude. But could it be? How else could anyone, in the face of the country’s crippling deficit, be unwilling to vote for each of us paying a fair share into the country’s coffers?

In a family like mine, those who have more to pay toward family expenses pay more. The expectation is that each individual will pay as they can, through money, work, or time, to better the larger family situation, or at least to gain independence. I always thought that my ability and desire to work was a valuable commodity. Even though my salary as a teacher was never great, I was able to contribute to paying for the essentials — children’s clothes, property insurance, food, heat, transportation, etc. With four children, I never earned enough to carry the financial obligations on my own, but then my husband progressed in his career and paid the lion’s share.

As our children became young adults, some contributions for their education came to us from older family members who had money to spare and were happy to share. Starting in their teenage years, each of our kids made the effort to work: In school they achieved well enough to earn financial aid and/or get work-study jobs. Even now, all are in their 40s, they continue to make the effort, that is, to work — all in specialty areas, from teaching to carpentry. However, work does not always mean wealth. Though our offspring have been fortunate, life has become a struggle for more than one of them. I worry about what kind of an existence lies ahead for our grandchildren.

I’ve heard that Republicans cater to the wants of corporate America, an elite group who are not wanting at all and hold the purse strings to the country’s treasure. By treasure, I mean real money but also the treasure of individual lives, the total citizenry of our ranks. We the People, the great foundation of our American democracy, the larger portion of citizens, will remain hostage to the selfish acquisitiveness of the few, due to the senate vote of Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010. How can that be, given there may be continuing tax cuts (Bush-era style) across the board? Remember the country’s deficit, the unemployment rate (nudging 10 per cent), the recession we’re in, the wars we’re fighting — our country is in need; the majority of its citizens are experiencing real hardship, even loss. Yet, the “fair share” of the top two per cent of the population will not be available to help the country out if the Dec. 4 vote stays in place. I’m glad my family does not operate like politicians stuck in a rut of stubbornly trying to stick it to the other party rather than searching for a meaningful solution to the deficit problem.

I would like to propose a plan whereby all citizens can participate in a solution. You could call it the Country As Family Trade Agreement, CAFTA.

It’s pretty simple — each citizen would be given the option to donate an amount of their choice to the federal government to pay down the country’s growing and debilitating deficit. The amount given would be a gift, freely made, not another tax demanded. It would be a matter of personal choice.

You know that box on our federal tax forms that gives each of us taxpayers the option to pay $1 to a campaign fund if we check yes? Such a format could be used to give citizens the opportunity to donate an amount which each deems to be personally responsible toward paying down the country’s deficit.

I feel less tired, less old when I think it’s possible that members of our American family could pull together, could actually desire to pay a fair share into our country’s treasury. The CAFTA idea gives me reason for hope — for the future and for our grandchildren’s generation. I believe each of us can pay a little or more to make things a lot better.

Sarah Cook is a retired teacher, mother of four and grandmother of two who lives in Cambridge and Chilmark.