Tuesday, August 02, 2011

DYSFUNCTIONAL U. S. CONGRESS

I want to express these thoughts, but will focus on some other topics in the future.

The best I can say for this 2011 dysfunctional U. S. Congress is they're incompetent. They've averted a default on U. S. debt with the bill the House of Representatives has finally passed August 1st. On the bill's receipt the Senate is likely to pass the bill also, then send to the President whose signature is expected by day's end -- before the predicted August 3rd default deadline.

Congress has embarrassed our nation in the world. The threat of default should never have been an issue and those Congresspersons who made it so should be roundly politically castigated for having done so!

For the first time politics was injected into our world financial dealings adversely affecting our nation's credibility -- courtesy of the Tea Party minority wing of the Republican Party. They unnecessarily risked the full faith of credit of the U. S. Government for the first time in our history and for political purposes. They will claim in getting their way that their actions forced success for debt reduction, but what we have is a sham deficit reduction plan. Neither the Republican or Democratic Party benefits, and most importantly not the American people.

Make no mistake, we live in a Republican and Tea Party economy though they will attempt to deceive voters into believing otherwise from now until the 2012 Presidential election. That is all this Congressional political farce has been about.

Congress does have to address the nation's deficit which is primarily attributed to preceding Administrations and Congressional actions, or lack thereof. It is ludicrous and ridiculous to allege the current Administration is responsible for our nation's financial situation. Equally unrealistic is to believe this Administration, or any Administration, could quickly reverse this situation, especially considering the near financial collapse caused by multiple financial forces.

Now is the appropriate time for all Congresspersons to make a serious effort to legitimately enact legislation toward reducing our nation's deficit with minimal focus on political maneuverings. The American voter should monitor for such excessive political behavior with the intent that those who do so are the so-called legislators we should not reelect.

I think a good start would be for all Congresspersons to recognize the need to realign the tax system which includes increasing revenues from the wealthy. That certainly is not going to totally correct the deficit, but would be one reasonable contributing factor to deficit reduction. This would not create a hardship on them, unlike the adverse effects on our diminishing American middle class and those with even less. I believe those opposed provide a deliberately misleading argument that is a fallacy by saying that a suggested modest increased tax rate will take monies that would otherwise be spent creating new jobs. Those same wealthy individuals and large corporations who pay no taxes at all need to begin to pay their fair share if they truly respect and care about the United States of America's viable survival.

13 comments:

  1. Brava!!!!! You said it so much better than I ever could!!!!

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  2. I appreciate your thoughts, However, I don't agree. According to the Washington Post, moderates voted for the final bill in both the Senate and House, the extreme left and extreme right voted against the bill. The media gave the Tea Party lots of coverage, but the extreme left was just as involved in the stalemate. In the end, it was "business as usual" here in DC with the "old boys" and moderates McConnell and Biden putting their heads together and creating a bill that does not please either extreme. BTW, the "Tea Party" often referred to in the papers does not exist. It is not a true political party. Hundreds of citizens across the US got together and formed small "tea party" groups whose main concern was taxation and reckless spending. Liberals and Conservatives should both be happy as no one got an edge in the recent bill.

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  3. I don't care whether more Republicans or Democrats voted against the bill. The whole thing should make those that caused this fiasco ashamed and they should be held accountable for the downturn that is sure to follow.

    It was a ruse by the Tea Party to get cuts passed that they never could have gotten through without holding the deficit hostage. Early in the game Obama should have told them that if they played this devious game he would veto it and use the 14th amendment to raise the debt limit. The Tea Party pulled a fast one and their masters on Wall Street are overjoyed. We have been royally screwed.

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  4. I couldn't agree more with you Jared!! The elephant in the room is that the two party system is broke meaning the Federal government is malfunctioning. What will happen is that Congress will transition to a coalition body so it will be able to function once more. Will this happen in our life time? Maybe not but it will happen. In the mean time we will decline domestically and internationally.

    Yes the wealthy should be taxed more. They benefit much more in our system than any other group. Over 10 years ago we went to war and cut taxes which was never done before. Now we are paying for it through a stagnant economy not to mention the closing of libraries. Oh I could go on. Thank you Jared for another outstanding post.

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  5. Kay: Thanks. You do a good job with words and ideas on these issues at your place and write much more frequently than I do.

    Schmidley: Thanks for your perspective. I'm not impressed by the actions of any of the extremists -- right or left in any of the formally established political parties, or those popularly labeled like the Tea Party. I expect the latter group could oppose the final bill because there were enough votes by Republicans and Democrats to pass the bill in that late hour. I find it worrisome that the opposition either did not fully understand, or didn't care, about the impact of their actions on our nation had the debt extension not been passed. Most of those voting for the bill simply did so to extend the deficit in order to preserve our nation's standing as a people who pay our bills.

    The deficit extension bill should have been the only issue on which to be voted from the very beginning of this Congressional circus, in my humble opinion. The bill should never have been held hostage. Instead, whatever the intentions, the bill was loaded with contentious budget issues that had best been debated separately on their own merits. The misguided action caused more damage to the United States than the bill's budget issues resolved.

    Darlene: We agree on much, but I never wanted to see Congress avoid their responsibility to pass a bill by forcing the President to act independently to extend the debt limit. I saw any such effort to make that happen as purely politically motivated in the hopes such action would discredit the President in the eyes of many voters and take the onus off Congress.

    Bob: I agree our two party system is broken, but I wish the coalition would develop much sooner while I'm still around. The problem with dying, is missing so much. Our nation's place in the world is definitely challenged so if we want to be respected, we don't really need our legislators behaving as this group has been doing.

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  6. I maintain the system worked as it always has because in the end the moderates got their way. It is irresponsible to keep raising the debt ceiling without real reform, which we still do not have. All the "cuts" in the so-called debt reduction plan are cuts to projected spending rises. That is like saying instead of 3% you get 2% and I made a 50% decrease in spending. A big fat sham.

    We the people cannot keep increasing our debt ceiling everytime we overspend. Otherwise we are like the family that spends itself into bankruptcy using credit cards. Eventually, the bills must be paid or we really do go under. There are ways to cut spending and I for one as a SS recipient, would rather have a diet COLA than no check at all.

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  7. Inflation has always been the answer to governmental over-spending in the USA. It started with financing our early wars. Only Pres Bush thought it made sense to start a war/two wars while cutting taxation rates. Shame on our Congressional people who went along with it and on those who have extended it!

    Since the big tumble of 2008 I have lived in fear of inflation more than anything else that has to do with our economy. (I don't do a lot of shopping; but, despite what we are being told, I see prices continuing their spiral upward on the "necessities" of life.)
    Cop Car

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  8. Although I'm thoroughly disgusted with how Congress took us to the fiscal brink, I don't think the outcome is all that bad. Had we started cutting spending dramatically right now without any revenue increases (and probably even with them) the whole economy probably would have tanked again. Common sense says maintain federal spending now and handle budget cuts and spending increases in stages over a long period of time.

    Although it probably is too much to hope for from our politicians, sound decisions usually are made after long and careful consideration. Judgments that are forced and hurried seldom have a lot of merit.

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  9. schmidley: We definitely agree we are long overdue for budget cuts. The rub for all seems to be where and when we make those slices. Perhaps we should have a means test on SS, or maybe increase the total amount contributors pay into the fund by withholding from additional paychecks during the year. There are viable possibilities that could be done without reducing the amount of those most vulnerable in our society and providing them cost of living increases.

    CopCar: Yes, I fear inflation, too, as so many would be hurt, not to mention the negative impact on our nation's weak economy.

    Dick: I think you make a good point that the best approach is to make "budget cuts and spending increases in stages over a long period of time...sound decisions usually are made after long and careful consideration. Judgments that are forced and hurried seldom have a lot of merit."

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  10. This whole fiasco was shameful and disturbing...and not just a little humiliating for the American people. Good post JoAnn... ~Joy

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  11. BEAUTIFULLY said, my dear.The situation our country is in leaves me despondant. I feel like my country has been High-Jacked by people who care NOTHING for 'we the people', but only about destroying Obama and making sure he won't be elected again. They care nothing for their constuency---because if they did, they would have to raise taxes on the wealthiest members of this country, WHO, by the way should be stepping forward without a law being passed--but that will never happen because they don't care about 'we the people', either....!
    It is more than depressing in every way.
    Thank you for posting this Joared.

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  12. Coming in late here, but appreciate the post and discussion.
    At this point I don't know what to think. It all seems like such a mess.
    Hattie

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  13. Joy: Thanks! Situation can be discouraging.

    OldOldLady: When we think of what could be if only the focus was on resolving our nation's problems......

    Hattie: I don't think addressing many of the issues is as complicated as some have made it when they try to move us forward into the past. It's a new world despite anything we may or may not do.

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