Budget Dance Continues
So the government didn't shut down - whew! But that's not why I haven't posted for a week or so. More about that later.
Shut down or not, the budget dance continues now in - I can hardly bring myself to say it - Washington. Why the trouble referring to our nation's capital? Partly it's just being fed up with all the political jockeying and manipulation. Yes, I realize it's standard fare for the federal government, but that doesn't make it easier to stomach. And is it just me, or has the nonsense been kicked up a notch these last months? I mean all that to-do over a measly $38 billion in cuts? The deficit alone (the amount the government will spend over and above the revenue it takes in) is pushing $1.4 trillion, and they're haggling over cutting $38 billion?
And now we've got to listen to them argue over whether to raise the debt ceiling, which the federal government will hit around May 16th? Really, it's more than I can take. The limit's now $14.294 trillion - that alone is hard to fathom - and the two parties are getting into it over a) whether they should raise the limit and b) by how much. Who are they kidding? You don't think they won't raise the limit, do you? That will only bring us back to the government shutting down - something they've assured us won't happen. So that leaves how much. And the "how much" will be decided however each party figures they'll get the most mileage out of. For example, if the Republicans agree to incremental increases over the next two years, that's because they figure that will be to their advantage come the 2012 elections. Or if they agree to on big increase, well the next deadline will be right before the 2012 election, and they're probably figuring it will serve their purposes better that way. Ditto for the Democrats. So now you know what's on their minds - and it's got very little to do with what's best for you and me.
But the real thing that's getting on my nerves lately is just the very idea that this stuff is constantly in the news - this and everything else that's got to do with the federal government. The President said this and the President said that. Congress is debating this and Congress is debating that. The Supreme Court will take up the issue of this or that...well, you get my drift, I hope. See, the whole purpose of our Republican form of government, as debated and decided by our Founding Fathers, was that it would function in a limited manner, watched over by us. And if we were anywhere near that (and I obviously recognize things have changed since the 18th century, so please don't bring that up, OK?), we simply wouldn't be hearing much about the federal government. It would be a small part of our lives. Once in a while maybe. But every day, all day, never mind all the drama that goes along with it?
Well, that felt a little better. So back to why I haven't posted in a week.
I just took in a whole bunch of new research and analysis - a huge "data dump" of sorts. And this is the second time this year. Last time, I took little bites over a period of weeks and could more or less keep up with my usual daily tasks; this time, I've decided to just sink my teeth into the meat and take big bites, so it's taken up most of my time. But it's all good stuff, so I can't complain.
Hey, maybe that's why all this federal government drama's gotten to me. After all it's nothing new, right? But when you really spend your time with stuff that's substantive and that helps you think through the mess we've gotten ourselves into - and it's a BIG mess that's just getting bigger - then I guess the silly arguments and dramatic posturing just really gets on my nerves. I was going to say that they're like little children arguing over some game they're playing, but that would be more of a slur on little children than on our representatives. The problem with the folks in D.C. is that they are, in fact, adults.
Shut down or not, the budget dance continues now in - I can hardly bring myself to say it - Washington. Why the trouble referring to our nation's capital? Partly it's just being fed up with all the political jockeying and manipulation. Yes, I realize it's standard fare for the federal government, but that doesn't make it easier to stomach. And is it just me, or has the nonsense been kicked up a notch these last months? I mean all that to-do over a measly $38 billion in cuts? The deficit alone (the amount the government will spend over and above the revenue it takes in) is pushing $1.4 trillion, and they're haggling over cutting $38 billion?
And now we've got to listen to them argue over whether to raise the debt ceiling, which the federal government will hit around May 16th? Really, it's more than I can take. The limit's now $14.294 trillion - that alone is hard to fathom - and the two parties are getting into it over a) whether they should raise the limit and b) by how much. Who are they kidding? You don't think they won't raise the limit, do you? That will only bring us back to the government shutting down - something they've assured us won't happen. So that leaves how much. And the "how much" will be decided however each party figures they'll get the most mileage out of. For example, if the Republicans agree to incremental increases over the next two years, that's because they figure that will be to their advantage come the 2012 elections. Or if they agree to on big increase, well the next deadline will be right before the 2012 election, and they're probably figuring it will serve their purposes better that way. Ditto for the Democrats. So now you know what's on their minds - and it's got very little to do with what's best for you and me.
But the real thing that's getting on my nerves lately is just the very idea that this stuff is constantly in the news - this and everything else that's got to do with the federal government. The President said this and the President said that. Congress is debating this and Congress is debating that. The Supreme Court will take up the issue of this or that...well, you get my drift, I hope. See, the whole purpose of our Republican form of government, as debated and decided by our Founding Fathers, was that it would function in a limited manner, watched over by us. And if we were anywhere near that (and I obviously recognize things have changed since the 18th century, so please don't bring that up, OK?), we simply wouldn't be hearing much about the federal government. It would be a small part of our lives. Once in a while maybe. But every day, all day, never mind all the drama that goes along with it?
Well, that felt a little better. So back to why I haven't posted in a week.
I just took in a whole bunch of new research and analysis - a huge "data dump" of sorts. And this is the second time this year. Last time, I took little bites over a period of weeks and could more or less keep up with my usual daily tasks; this time, I've decided to just sink my teeth into the meat and take big bites, so it's taken up most of my time. But it's all good stuff, so I can't complain.
Hey, maybe that's why all this federal government drama's gotten to me. After all it's nothing new, right? But when you really spend your time with stuff that's substantive and that helps you think through the mess we've gotten ourselves into - and it's a BIG mess that's just getting bigger - then I guess the silly arguments and dramatic posturing just really gets on my nerves. I was going to say that they're like little children arguing over some game they're playing, but that would be more of a slur on little children than on our representatives. The problem with the folks in D.C. is that they are, in fact, adults.
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