Don’t know if this was said about about Romeo and Juliet or the Hatfields and McCoys, but I’m reserving it for the House and Senate of the United States.
Here we are, a week from March 1st, and thanks to stubborn refusal to compromise on BOTH sides, we have no “Grand Bargain” and therefore sequestration will be upon us in a week; that is, if they don’t put off dealing with it and “kick the can down the road” yet again. I am SICK of hearing that expression.
Everyone in their right mind agrees that sequestration (with its across the board 10% cuts) is the dumbest possible way to deal with our financial crisis. It was meant only to hold legislators’ feet to the fire so that they would reach an agreement as to how to cut the deficit, so sequestration would never occur.
No one wants to see what happens when we have fewer air traffic controllers, meat inspectors or airport security agents; nor do we want to see those who are old and sick lose their home health providers and have to move into nursing homes.
Obama let us down in the first administration by not using the Bowles-Simpson deficit reduction plan to force on both houses the realization that each must accept compromise. Now Obama is in a much greater position of strength than he was then; his win in the elections was substantial, and the message from the voters to both the President and Congress was: DO SOMETHING TO BRING THE DEFICIT DOWN – NOW.
Democrats need to cooperate on cutting entitlements back so they can realistically be there for those who come after us. Retirement age must regress upwards. Unions should not be allowed to block compromise. WE HAVE BEEN LIVING BEYOND OUR MEANS – IF WE WANT TO CHANGE THIS WE MUST AGREE TO CUTS.
Republicans need to agree to means testing for both Medicare and Social Security. Imposing a 30% minimum tax rate on those with INCOMES over a million dollars doesn’t seem excessive. They need to lead the way with tax and subsidies reform, and concentrate on smarter, not just smaller, government. They need to accept a smaller military now that we have left Iraq and are leaving Afganistan.
REPUBLICANS NEED TO STOP BEING AGAINST EVERYTHING AND BE PROACTIVE IN REACHING A GRAND BARGAIN.
Yes, as you can tell from the “we” and “they,” I am a Democrat, but not one who feels their party is blameless in this standoff. Senate Majority Leader Reid strikes me as a glorified funeral director. House Majority Leader Boehner is handcuffed by ultra-conservatives. The President is standing by, waiting to point fingers of blame. This won’t do, folks.
TAKE US SERIOUSLY. TAKE YOUR WORK SERIOUSLY. DO SOMETHING – NOW.
Yours is a rational reaction that I have heard often from all directions, except for Congress and the loudest of the talking heads. It seems that political moderates have gone the way of the Spiny Mussel. Republicans fear they won’t get re-elected if they support any increase in taxes (say, to 1990s levels) and likewise entitlements are the third rail for Democrats. Neither party supports a voice from the middle, even a veteran fund-raiser like Warner. Even after the election, Congress is distracted by the 1% soundbyte, though it’s a relatively minor piece of the federal solvency puzzle.
Just like the end of last year, I’m sure congress will come out with a ritual next Thursday night that they advertise as historic and noble, but just kicks the c (oops, sorry).
That’s where I come down, Andrew, right in the middle; plus I think there are many more like me, they just keep their heads down going through their daily lives, leaving the noise-making to the extreme voices.
This article resonated with me. We face serious challenges as a nation and the national interest is not well served when legislators simply dig in and adopt non-negotiable positions. I am a father and a grand father and I worry about the future that we are leaving for future generations.
When I was in the Air Force (28 years) I always tried to be a good steward of the tax payers’ dollars. When I counseled my younger officers, I would always tell them that if they ever got to the point that getting the next promotion became more important than doing the right thing, they needed to look for a new profession. I think it needs to be the same for political leaders — when the next re-election becomes more important than doing the right thing, it’s time to change jobs.
I believe that people elect leaders to get things done. I am running for office myself and, if successful, hope to carry with me that same philosophy I applied when in uniform.