Time to face reality

If this will o’ the wisp specter called “sequester” is allowed to happen next week, the citizens of this country should demand the en masse resignation of every member of Congress and the executive branch.

What is happening in Washington-on-the-Deficit is blatantly stupid and partisan … and every single elected official is to blame by some degree. Obama’s hand’s-off policy in dealing with Congress does not win friends and influence some members of his own party, much less the GOP; the GOPers are playing games with this country’s future and their refusal to compromise on even the most trivial of matters is stupid, churlish and wrong-headed.

Of course, we need a plan to balance the budget. Yes, we need to cut waste in every aspect of government. We all agree that building a path to a solid future for Social Security and Medicare is absolutely necessary?

So, what’s the problem? You can blame this mess on petty partisan politics, wounded egos and an inability for structured compromise necessary for, not just for the good of the individual political parties, but for the nation.

Don’t our elected officials understand what will happen if the sequester is allowed to happen, if more than $1 trillion in cuts in the federal government is allowed to happen in a short period of time? We’re not talking about fewer government services or a handful of federal employees being furloughed. We not talking about cutting the waste from federal departments.

We’re talking about this country losing hundreds of thousands of jobs as the domino effect of these arbitrary cuts are allowed to take place. Federal employees will be laid off (and many deserve to be because government is simply too big), supply firms will be adversely affected; support businesses will lay off folks; businesses like convenience stores, cleaners, grocery stores will see fewer sales.

This issue is bigger than the Republican and Democratic  parties. This is America we are talking about, and we – you and I – deserve better from our elected officials than having them play wicked games of “chicken” and I-told-you-so with this country’s future.

It is a fact that Social Security and Medicare are a big drain on the coffers of the federal government. This country made promises to today’s seniors concerning these two vital programs and those promises must be kept.

But just as the age limit on Social Security was raised at one time in order to keep that program viable, the same must be considered for Medicare. That’s a hard pill to swallow for any national politician, but it’s time to face reality for members of both parties and make tough decisions.

Whether or not they can make those tough decisions necessary to balance the budget over time is uncertain, but most folks are betting that pride and ego and trying to get re-elected will prevent any reasonable compromise in time to avert disaster.

God help us all because our leaders seem too weak and stubborn and simply not up to the task.