Enough Already

As I sat here writing this column on a cold, snowy Sunday morning, I was channel surfing. I landed on one of the Sunday morning shows. Usually, I hardly ever watch these shows; I don’t have much time for them. This morning, I watched, and ten minutes into it I remembered why I usually don’t—the politics. Aren’t you a little sick of it, folks? I am, especially lately.

A prime example is this whole sequestration thing. For those of you who don’t know what this word means, allow me to give you the James Shearer description of it — federal government bull, you know what? Depending on whom you talk to, it’s supposed to be a less painful way to cut spending or a way to help get the national debt under control. Either explanation makes no sense. This whole thing started over the national debt and the fact that Washington can’t seem to stop playing partisan politics long enough to come up with a long-term plan to bring spending under control. Hence the whole sequestration crap, which is a fail-safe plan just in case these idiots can’t get their heads out of their lower extremities long enough to make a plan. Which they still haven’t done, as this deal was made between Congress and the President in August and was supposed to go into effect on January 1, but the President and Congress were able to agree to a short-term deal that would give them more time.

Confusing, huh? Yeah, I was confused, too. I still am. Why? Because I can’t understand why these elected officials can’t seem to sit down and work out a deal, the sticking point, a compromise. Neither side really wants the sequester cuts to happen but neither is willing to do what it takes to get the job done. The President is hesitant to make the domestic cuts that are needed, yet he wants to raise taxes. Congress doesn’t want the sequester cuts to take effect, but they won’t agree to any raise in taxes and they refuse to give any ground.

These are supposed to be adult men and women running the country and making quality decisions, and yet they continue to act like 3rd graders. On second thought, I know 3rd graders that are more cooperative than these guys are. If the government were my business, I’d blow the whole damn thing up and start over. Maybe that’s what we should do: fire everybody and start over with a clean slate. It’s just too bad we have to wait a couple of years to do it.

—James Shearer