As I write this, we are on the brink of the “sequester” and I ask, why? Has our Congress gotten so committed to one individual, Grover Norquist, that they are willing to turn their backs on the oath they took upon being elected to uphold the Constitution and serve “the people”?
I’m asking why one man has the power to get Republican elected officials to sign a pledge not to raise taxes? I thought that our elected officials were there in Washington D.C. to serve the people of the United States. Our tax rate under other administrations has been as high as 90 percent on the upper income people and at a time when our economy was “robust.” But no, now our Republican Congress wants to take away from the 98 percent and give more to the billionaires!
This appears to me to be irresponsible “brinksmanship”! Don’t “we the people” deserve to expect a respectful bipartisan dialogue? It has been proven over and over again, that strong fiscal health requires both spending cuts and additional revenues. Government has a responsibility concerning the poor, and in making moral choices for vulnerable people.
The jobs that the new members of the Republican party promised when they were elected in 2010 have not materialized. Instead they have blocked every “jobs” bill that the Administration has sent to them and why? Because they want to make the “President look bad”. The same thing with the “budget deficit”….the only way they want to help that is to “cut the spending” with no thought of the jobs that will be lost, or how it will hurt the marginalized in our country, the seniors, the poor, and the disabled, including our vets.
I was under the belief that this last election sent a strong message to Washington DC that we were fed up with the disrespectful and immoral actions of those members in Congress that don’t want to raise any taxes on the top 1% but are eager to cut spending on the backs of the rest of us.
I keep hoping that the spirit in the halls of Congress will change and that decisions will be made on what is best “for the people.” Is that too much to ask?
Dottie Villesvik
Everett
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