Much to my dismay was I to learn that our U.S. Congress will be going on vacation again on December 14th! President Obama has planned his annual family vacation in Hawaii on December 17th through January 6th. The more I follow politics, the more such schedules cease to surprise me. If you haven’t paid attention to what our Congress does, let me enlighten you. On August 3rd they went on vacation. They returned on September 10th. They took another vacation again on October 5th, so that politicians could run for reelection. (Essentially we paid for them to be able to retain their jobs while simultaneously failing to actually do it) They returned on November 13th. On December 14th they will once again go on vacation (or as I like to call it, their “winter break”).
With the “fiscal cliff” ever looming our politicians are doing their best to ensure they retain their “much needed” rest. Irate wouldn’t be sufficient enough of a word to describe my feelings. No wonder why Congress can’t come to a compromise; they barely work. It is hard to work if you don’t show up to your job. All I know is if I took as many vacation days as these people do, I’d be fired a long time ago. Actually I’m only allotted two weeks of vacation. They get more time off per quarter then I get all year!
I am going to be so pissed if my taxes go up because these people would rather drink eggnog than actually work.
I am going to be so pissed if my taxes go up because these people are too busy vacationing.
You might ask yourself why can’t these “educated” men and women (many of whom graduated from the most ‘prestigious’ universities in the world) reach a compromise. Sadly the answer is that they truly don’t comprehend what the word means.
For example, Republicans say they will raise revenues by capping tax deductions. Somehow they’ve deluded themselves into thinking that would be enough added revenue. They refute the possibility of raising the tax rate for the “wealthy.” This stubborn, negotiating tactic isn’t doing anything to assuage the conflict. Likewise, Democrats also prove to be stubborn on the issue of compromise. Senator Dick Durbin from Illinois (a Democrat I actually like) said yesterday that reforming the “entitlement programs” would definitely have to be on the table. He said everyone has to be realistic that Medicaid and Medicare will become insolvent in the near future without immediate reforms.
Promising rhetoric from a high-ranking Democratic leader right? Actually no, because the Senator goes on to say that cutting spending on such programs should not be decided in these “fiscal cliff” negotiations. As usual he would like to address the issue in the “near” future. I don’t understand how you can possibly state that we “should definitely put entitlement reforms on the table” if you refuse to negotiate them in these conversation. I wonder what ‘table’ the Senator is referring to.
All I can surmise is that our politicians suffer from acute, egocentric tendencies. Their refusal to deviate from their initial stance is now threatening to severely damage the U.S. economy. Heck, even the world economy. Most economists state we would head back into a recession if a deal isn’t brokered. This fact alone should be sufficient evidence for them to realize that their actions are completely reckless. They are risking the country’s future for what? Because they are too proud to say maybe someone else is also right.
Our Congress shouldn’t be allowed to go on anymore vacations until a substantive, long-term deal is brokered by the bickering parties. Only when threatened in that fashion will real change come about in this country. Only then will they get a deal done.
I’m so sick of elected officials slowly, but surely destroying the stature of this great nation.
I’m so sick of elected officials waiting until the eleventh hour to get a deal done (remember this problem was supposed to have been resolved last year),
And most importantly I’m so sick of American voters continuously allowing politicians to get away with this ‘malarkey.’
All I have to say to our politicians is this:
