The drama is over. Boehner did not cry during the State of the Union. Wow! As we get past the mostly irrelevant posturing and rhetoric of the State of the Union address, which is slowly trending towards a more glorified Oscar’s night, with commentaries on what people are wearing and who they’re sitting with, the country still has to come to grips with the nagging problems that just don’t seem to go away. Our deficit is spiraling, upped to $1.5 trillion for fiscal 2011, jobs are not growing fast enough to meet demand, the housing market still stinks, and Republicans and Democrats hate each other so badly, they can’t come together on anything short of feeling sorry for Gabby Giffords.
Obama’s ratings are creeping up but his agenda for deficit reduction together with infrastructure spending is DOA with the Republican-controlled House’s finger on the purse strings. As they say in Brooklyn, fogetaboudit. So, what do we do now? Unfortunately, we’re stuck in the mud until 2012. The question though is whether this is just mud, or really quicksand.
Standing still on deficit reduction is not an option. The federal borrowing ceiling is reaching its limit this spring and the TEA party crowd has vowed to fight any increases. This explains why the Republicans had two rebuttals to the State of the Union; Ron Paul for the Republicans and Bachmann for the Tea Party. By splitting the response, the real Republicans are able to distinguish themselves from the TEA fanatics who want to send this country back to the 1700s. Should the US default on its debt, the economic meltdown of 2008 will seem like a mild recession.
And, there’s more dreary news. Social Security is now confirmed to go bankrupt in 2037. At least a dozen state governments are on the brink of bankruptcy, unable to meet their pension obligations. Medicare and other healthcare spending are swallowing nearly a quarter of our GDP, with the private insurance companies moneyed and lobbied up to bring down Obamacare, or any other rationale reorganization of the healthcare industry.
So what do we do? Move to China? All the compliments and accolades concerning China is making even Richard Nixon roll over in his grave. It’s now completely okay to quash human rights, freedom of speech and religion, private ownership, and all the rest Communism has to offer, as long as you buy a lot of US Treasury bonds. Even the left wingers have bought into this stuff. They figured they won on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, so no need to take on oppressors of basic human rights.
Look, America is still the best country in the world. We’re going to get through this. But first we have to demand that those elected to government stop acting as if they are on opposing camp color war teams. There has to be a consensus on core issues this country is facing. Deficit reduction is front and center, but you can’t dent a $14 trillion national deficit by taking a couple of million in funding away from the National Endowment for the Arts. There has to be a blend of spending reduction and revenue increases. While the words “tax increase” are equivalent to yelling fire in a crowded theatre, we must generate more revenue to get out of the bind the massive financial crises has left us struggling with. If you don’t want to raise taxes, then we must at least reform the tax code to insure that corporations making billions a year pay their fair share and can’t beat the system by shipping jobs and assets overseas. Guys like Warren Buffet shouldn’t be paying taxes at the same rate as their cleaning ladies.
At the same time, we need to invest in our future to become more efficient and competitive in a global economy. If we don’t invest today, there will be no returns to enjoy tomorrow. That’s basic stuff. We need a great national transportation system so people can work more efficiently, better green technologies so $90 a barrel oil won’t bring the economy down, and aggressive research and development in emerging technologies, healthcare, and national defense. We’re not going back to an economy that manufactures sweaters on New York’s Lower East Side, but we can lead the world and make a lot of money with state of the art electric cars, wireless technology, life-saving medicines and blow your mind defense systems.
Let’s hope our elected officials get the message before we’re sunk. TLS.
You are almost on the money
few points: cleaing ladies and lower income people generally don’t pay taxes they gain from the EIC. Ask how many in BMG pay or make at the end of the day after returns. That is the majority of the people in NJ and the US/ower income people. It is the middle class that gets burnt. the middle class runs the economy. Lots of us are asking why work join the lower income get free groceries(Food stamps), free healthcare(jerseycare), free housing (sec 8) Why work Can any politician answer the question? Why all the programs?
The tea party is not radical but trying to bring common sense to government.
The social services that exist in the country along with the unions, regulations and foriegn aid are cripling us.
Social services promote ‘single mom’ lifestyles many people on social services are doing side jobs to jmilk the system. look at all the “Day laborerers” they are able ot make ends meet w/o taking anything from uncle Sam. Do away with all the sec 8 Why do they live better than the hard working middle class? Food stamps – they buy the best meat adn food while the middle class strugle to provide. Medicaid – free healthcare whule the middle class pays higher and higher premiums….
Unions – total and inefficient workers – why do you think all the ‘day laboerer’ are getting jobs because its not worth the whole union hastle thing… Look at what it takes the gov’t to do any street or highway work 10 guys doing the work that 3 can do becuase of union guidelines…..They need jobs so this is how it is done.
Regulations – are used to protect the status quo. I remeber there was a doctor in Queens who opened w/o taking any insurance just pay a small office fee. They closed him down because he wasn’t following regulations.
Foreign Aid – What do we gain? Does anything come back to us? Where is the lower gas prices? Safety, democracy in the world?
There must be a way for people to get off the programs and back to work. My proposal would be anyone on these programs would have a tax free income for ‘x’ number of years once tha start working.. Also the gov’t would give them a credit whent they file the return make iuncentive for them to continue working…. All these programs and managing them cost us Billions …..
And as a Dem, how would you fix any of these???
While I agree with much that was stated in this article, the one thing I find disturbing is the statement “TEA fanatics”
They are the only sane voice of the American people left that now is a real force to be reckoned with . Most politicians have proven they do not listen to the voice of the people , well that opened the door to the Tea party movement and now the voice of the people will be heard loud & clear
Howard, as a real Liberal you are out of touch with the majority of Lakewood. Saying that Obama’s Agenda includes “Deficit Reduction” is so laughable that there is no point in directly needing to refute it.
Good luck on your next election campaign, someone needs to run as a Democrat.
Check your facts ron paul did not give the republican rebuttal.
Oh how refreshing- a partisan article with little truth spouting left wing rhetoric.
Going back to the U.S. Constituition as written and adapted in the later part of the 11700’s is what made this country great.
Both sides have one thing in common right now,,,working toward the global order .
The citizens of America have been duped by manipulation.
Odd how President Wilson brought the Fed Reserve in.
Odd how FDR brought Social Security in and did away with the gold standard.
Odd how JFK and LBJ brought us the great society and welfare, and the birth of the EPA.
Odd how Jimmy brought us the Dept of Education and increased turmoil in the Middle East . Not to mention the inflation and higher petroleum fuel prices.
Odd how wild Bill Clinton sold military secrets to the Chinese but vowed to get those folks that bombed the trade centers in 1993 by sending rockets into an empty sewing machine company bldg.
Now we have someone that was supposed to ‘unite’ the races andsolve all the financial woes brought about by giving folks mortgages that could not afford them.
Compliments of Jimmy and Bill.
Yep- the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) fanatics sure want to mess up the things the democrats have worked so hard to bring us.
The riots of Greece,England, France and now Egypt are coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
Corporations and foriegn bankers run this country.
Check the bank account of govt officials and tells us the truth.
Go howard!
What’s the point of a debt ceiling if its going to be raised when we hit it so we don’t default on the debt
1 you are right and another thing have the 1 on welfare and food stamps and sec. 8 take drug test , if they are taking drugs put them off, go check there homes and see what they have .