Dear “Fiscal Cliff”…

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The politicians in Congress love to divide and conquer the American public, every time they can!  It must be fun for them to figure out new ways to get on television and make nasty remarks about the President or the Speaker of the House or anyone that could conceivably disagree with their well thought out strategy and tactics to take the Presidency in the next election.  Think about how much fun they have had over the years with the “War on Drugs”, “The War on Poverty”,  “The War on Assault Weapons”, “The War on Pollution”, “The War on Global Warming”, “The War on Terror” and of course “The War on the Deficit”,  “The War on Government Spending”. “The War on Global Trade”, “The War on Chinese Trade Deficits”, “The War on Cap & Trade”, “The War on White Slavery”, “The War on Pornography”, “The War on Big Oil and Chemicals”, “The War on Cancer”, “The War on HMO’s”, “The War on Labor Unions” … and now in all their wisdom: “The War on the Fiscal Cliff”.

There is little doubt that humanity in general and even right here in the heaven and paradise of the United States, their are some problems!  We can all point around and say that Gas Prices are “way high”, that Real Estate Values…..are “way low”, that the media is terribly biased, that there are far too many stupid people on television of every stripe, that banks aren’t lending because they are greedy twits – with interest rates too low, that the price of our prescription drugs are out of control, that it is becoming far too difficult to get healthcare at a reasonable price, that the price of food, education, medicine, standard health insurance and everything you can’t buy at Costco, Wal-mart and Target – keeps going up like crazy.

In the meantime, we have the new “War on the Fiscal Cliff”.  Sounds good!  You have the President on one side saying:  “Tax the 2.5% that make bunches of cash every year.  Organize Medicare so that “the greed and double payments go away”.  Take that cash and pay down a few Trillion bucks on the National Debt.  The Republicans meanwhile don’t want to do any such thing.  They get their lobbyist and donations, that keep them in office from the very people that the President  wants to extract his pound of flesh from, so that 97.5% of the folks don’t have to pay an arm and leg at tax time.  Quite a “War” isn’t it?  Those of us that have served in the military are reminded of one of the first things we ever heard in “Boot Camp – Basic Training” after we were inducted.  “Sounds like a personal problem troop!”

Our elected officials, probably don’t want to hang aroundor elected much longer.  After all, there are a lot of problems to face and being that such elitists types don’t like being inconvenienced very often, we can be sure – they really don’t care what anyone thinks out here in “the hinterland”.  Hey, we are just “civilians” to these folks.  They talk mean to each other every Sunday- on the Morning Talk Shows, then go out for drinks and yuk it up, through the rest of the week.  We keep hearing about the “Great Divide” and we are expected to put up with it, choose the colored jersey that represents our team and scream upon cue.  Maybe, folks are getting tired of that?  Maybe Fox News, CNN and even MSNBC have put out too much divisive nonsense without any purpose than causing trouble in our society.  Maybe folks are seeking a little reality from their elected representatives?  We are pretty sure….but….

It goes like this:  Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid have nothing to do with the Fiscal Cliff.  Each so-called Entitlement Program needs to be a Stand Alone Issue to be voted on – Up or Down!  For instance lets take Social Security.  Set to go Deficit in 2025.  Remove the cap on wages from $110,000 and put it  up to $1,000,000 million dollars a year.  That will make the system flush for another 50 years….out to 2062.  This is called a quick fix and has nothing to do with raising the age to collect retirement benefits…..like Goldman-Sachs big guy; Bernard Blankfine would have you believe.  Hey Bernard, when are you retiring by the way?

The next issues are Medicare and Medicaid which are issues that hang on the impostion of ObamaCare coming next year.  These programs may require some changes to stay fiscally stable.  This is called putting the cart before the horse.  The Obama Care Legislation is not only complex, but many parts of the system have yet to be determined.  They simply cannot allow States to Opt Out of a State required Insurance Buying Cooperative, since this is a pivotal part of the Obama program.  Forcing the Federal Government into creating these Associations is not only inefficient but a costly alternative.  The Feds can even pay for the establishment of the State program – but it defintely needs to represent the current State Insurance Companies.  The point is; this will take time and through just this part of instituting Obama Care – it can’t be done overnight.  Take these issues off the “Fiscal Cliff” table immediately.  Does not compute…folks!

The reality is that the Big Three Insurance Companies have already jacked up their rates for January 1st, 2013.   In just five or six weeks, those of us that purchase our Health Insurance through our Employers or Independent Insurer…..is going to find a 150% increase in monthly premiums.  For a family of four, that is going to be another devestating annual cost of doing business in the United States of America.  Should the Congress fail to continue the Bush Tax Cuts for the Middle Class…..adding the new 2013 cost of health insurance (around $400 a month) plus the $6700 lost tax addition – for those making $65,000….the sudden bill for 2013 will amount to about $11,000 dollars more than they paid in 2012.  Congress is renowed for fooling with the figures and deductions and the write-0ffs – but mainly for Big Businesses that are busy shipping jobs overseas.  For the poor hard working family of four…..that work for a living……they don’t care so much.

How about that “Fiscal Cliff” concept again?  Mr. & Mrs. Congress person?  Do you hear us yet?  We are trying to tell you that Seniors still want their Cost of Living Increase for 2013 for their Social Security.  We are trying to tell you that the folks in our Military on active duty and retired….need their Cost of Living Increase for 2013.  We are trying to tell you to separate this Gordian Knot you call the Fiscal Cliff and do something NOW!  We need movement – Going Forward.  We need to complete the things we can – as soon as we can.  Forget getting rid of loop holes…….where would you start?  Don’t start with the Middle Class please!  Try your Big Guy Business Model Loophole Folks…..that ship their cash off-shore first!

Dear “Fiscal Cliff”, we are sad that  your family of Legislators don’t know what to do!  We are sad that we will have to vote each and every one out of office – as soon as we can, even though we have grown to love many of them throughout the years.  This is not personal…..this is business and the business of government is to help and represent the greatest majority of citizens.   We are sad that you have chosen to keep those big checks coming from contributors to your various campaigns and don’t really care about your oath to this country.  We are sad that you have become so transparent, so self-absorbed, so self-congratulatory and can’t seem to see the forest for the trees of partisan politics.

Dear Fiscal Cliff, …….keep it up and we will sadly miss all of you; in two, four or six years!  By the way, Happy Thanksgiving Turkeys!

 

 


About Ron & Anna Winship

Independent News Producers/Writers and Directors for Parker-Longbow Productions. Independent Programming which includes a broad variety of Political, Entertainment and Professional Personalities. Cutting Edge - a talk show...is the flagship of over 30 URL websites developed or under development. The Winships have been blogging for the Orange Juice since back when nickels had buffalos on them, and men wore onions attached to their belts, because it was the fashion back then.