My View of the Current Political Situation
I'm not usually very interested in politics. I usually identify with the Republican party. I believe in self reliance and personal responsibility. I value freedom and independence. Even after the last few years of struggling financially as Steven hasn't had a regular job, I still do not promote free government handouts. I'd rather pay less in taxes and spend my money where I want to spend it, and where I can see what use it is going to. I resent being forced to spend money on things because the government mandates it, even if I probably would spend money on those things anyway. I believe that the checks and balances in place in our form of government are there for a reason, and I don't approve of the way the government seems to be going right now.
The government has shut down. Why? Well, it is complex. To me, it appears to be a power struggle. The President has an ambition: affordable health care for everyone. A law was passed to provide it. This law is huge and complex so there are very few people, if any, who understand the entire thing and its ramifications, but it passed. It is the President's baby. He loves it. It is his contribution and symbol of his success as President. He is unwilling to sacrifice any piece of it for any reason. And why should he? He's the President!
The President is supported by his political party, the Democrats. Health care for all is great! It will provide for the poor. Sure, it will be expensive to maintain, but that is what taxes are for. Just raise taxes on those who can afford it, and use that to pay for the health care for all the unemployed and poverty stricken people so they don't have to worry about it. Isn't that what government is for - to take care of the poor, helpless people?
Then there are the Republicans. Republicans are wondering what the federal government is doing getting involved in healthcare in the first place. They see the complexity, the new taxes - the mandate that people must have health insurance or pay a fine, and they shudder at having this law jammed down America's throat. They want to reign it in, stop it if at all possible. But it has already passed. It has already begun. What can they do to stop it now?
So the time came when congress was supposed to plan the budget for the coming year.
Democrats: We need money to pay for all our programs to take care of the people.
Republicans: Do we really need all these programs? We're aren't sure there is enough money to pay for everything, including that new health care program. (This might be a good chance to cut back on that health care law we never liked in the first place.)
Democrats: Of course we need all these programs! Who will take care of the American people if the government doesn't?
Republicans: Um, the American people themselves, if we just get out of their way and let them...
Democrats: Not likely! How many are on welfare, or receiving unemployment? They can't live without us! They need us! We need to give them health care, too!
Republicans: No, we don't! We have no business forcing them to have health insurance. That has to stop!
President: You can forget about anything that is going to hurt my health insurance law.
Republicans: Fine. You can forget about our agreeing to a budget.
So a budget hasn't been created, a government shutdown has been instigated, and government programs are running out of money. Due to the shutdown, nonessential government programs, buildings, etc. are being closed. What is nonessential?
National memorials and parks. Incidentally, this has meant that a ton of money has been spent setting up barricades, paying security guards, etc. to keep people away. (And leaving them alone, and just not emptying the trashcans and mowing the lawns for a week or so would be how devastating?) I've read stories about people who have property in national parks being forced to leave their homes. (Because letting them live in their homes would cost the government how much?) However, oil and gas drilling is still permitted.
Other nonessential programs include toxic waste clean up, admissions to the National Institute of Health, workers at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. There have also been complaints about federal truck deliveries to food banks being delayed, and military death benefits going unpaid. There are also the thousands of government workers who are on unpaid leave, although there is a good chance of them receiving back pay once the shutdown ends.
At the same time, there is another financial issue. In my home, we have borrowed money when necessary. We have a mortgage on our house. We borrowed money to help us pay for Steven's MBA program and our living expenses while he was going to school. We have borrowed money when we've needed a new car. At the same time, we've tried very hard not to borrow any more than we absolutely had to. We've paid off our debts as quickly as we've been able to. While we do use credit cards, we have made sure not to spend more on them than we would be able to pay off -in its entirety - when the bill comes due. If something we need is more expensive than we can afford, we either wait until we can afford it, or cut back somewhere else, or figure out a way to live without it. (For example, a second car would really be useful right now, but we are waiting until we have the money to pay for it.) We strive to live within our means.
The government, in contrast, seems to borrow more money whenever it doesn't have enough. "Oh - we're going to run out of money next week? Well just ask for more money from China or somewhere. We'll pay them back eventually..." So something called a debt ceiling (a limit to how much can be borrowed) keeps getting raised so the government can pay for the many programs and stuff that it keeps running.
They've reached their current debt ceiling. They are due to run out of money in a week, and congress has to come up with a budget to figure out how they are going to pay for their programs, as well as how they are going to make their loan payments.
So the Democrats are thinking, "Well, just raise the debt ceiling so we can pay our loans and our programs and get on with life."
The Republicans, on the other hand, are thinking, "Well hold on a minute. Why should we just raise the debt ceiling? We shouldn't be just borrowing more money here; we should be cutting back on our spending so we don't have to keep getting deeper in debt. Otherwise this whole cycle is going to happen again and again! Besides, how much more money is that whole health insurance for all thing going to cost? We've got to slow down this run away horse!"
Democrats: "What are you talking about? If we don't raise the debt ceiling, we'll default on our loans, and that will disrupt the whole global economy! That will be like the apocalypse! Just raise it already!"
Republicans: "Well, we can still raise it a little if we have to, but we need to cut spending at the same time. That's just good financial common sense."
Democrats: "But I don't want to cut spending anywhere."
Republicans: "Well then just cut back or delay the health insurance program for a while."
President: "What? Cut back or delay my baby? Never!!!"
Meanwhile, more and more people are becoming frustrated with the whole government. They are mad at Republicans for not getting with the program and raising the debt ceiling and agreeing to a budget without getting any concessions themselves (like a cutback or delay in the health care law). They are mad at the President for not negotiating with the Republicans and working out a solution. They are increasingly upset over the shutdown as it effects an increasing number of people. We teach our children how to stand for their principles when it is really important, but we also teach them when it is time to make a compromise, when to work for a solution that everyone can accept. Apparently our elected leaders still need to work on those skills.
The government has shut down. Why? Well, it is complex. To me, it appears to be a power struggle. The President has an ambition: affordable health care for everyone. A law was passed to provide it. This law is huge and complex so there are very few people, if any, who understand the entire thing and its ramifications, but it passed. It is the President's baby. He loves it. It is his contribution and symbol of his success as President. He is unwilling to sacrifice any piece of it for any reason. And why should he? He's the President!
The President is supported by his political party, the Democrats. Health care for all is great! It will provide for the poor. Sure, it will be expensive to maintain, but that is what taxes are for. Just raise taxes on those who can afford it, and use that to pay for the health care for all the unemployed and poverty stricken people so they don't have to worry about it. Isn't that what government is for - to take care of the poor, helpless people?
Then there are the Republicans. Republicans are wondering what the federal government is doing getting involved in healthcare in the first place. They see the complexity, the new taxes - the mandate that people must have health insurance or pay a fine, and they shudder at having this law jammed down America's throat. They want to reign it in, stop it if at all possible. But it has already passed. It has already begun. What can they do to stop it now?
So the time came when congress was supposed to plan the budget for the coming year.
Democrats: We need money to pay for all our programs to take care of the people.
Republicans: Do we really need all these programs? We're aren't sure there is enough money to pay for everything, including that new health care program. (This might be a good chance to cut back on that health care law we never liked in the first place.)
Democrats: Of course we need all these programs! Who will take care of the American people if the government doesn't?
Republicans: Um, the American people themselves, if we just get out of their way and let them...
Democrats: Not likely! How many are on welfare, or receiving unemployment? They can't live without us! They need us! We need to give them health care, too!
Republicans: No, we don't! We have no business forcing them to have health insurance. That has to stop!
President: You can forget about anything that is going to hurt my health insurance law.
Republicans: Fine. You can forget about our agreeing to a budget.
So a budget hasn't been created, a government shutdown has been instigated, and government programs are running out of money. Due to the shutdown, nonessential government programs, buildings, etc. are being closed. What is nonessential?
National memorials and parks. Incidentally, this has meant that a ton of money has been spent setting up barricades, paying security guards, etc. to keep people away. (And leaving them alone, and just not emptying the trashcans and mowing the lawns for a week or so would be how devastating?) I've read stories about people who have property in national parks being forced to leave their homes. (Because letting them live in their homes would cost the government how much?) However, oil and gas drilling is still permitted.
Other nonessential programs include toxic waste clean up, admissions to the National Institute of Health, workers at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. There have also been complaints about federal truck deliveries to food banks being delayed, and military death benefits going unpaid. There are also the thousands of government workers who are on unpaid leave, although there is a good chance of them receiving back pay once the shutdown ends.
At the same time, there is another financial issue. In my home, we have borrowed money when necessary. We have a mortgage on our house. We borrowed money to help us pay for Steven's MBA program and our living expenses while he was going to school. We have borrowed money when we've needed a new car. At the same time, we've tried very hard not to borrow any more than we absolutely had to. We've paid off our debts as quickly as we've been able to. While we do use credit cards, we have made sure not to spend more on them than we would be able to pay off -in its entirety - when the bill comes due. If something we need is more expensive than we can afford, we either wait until we can afford it, or cut back somewhere else, or figure out a way to live without it. (For example, a second car would really be useful right now, but we are waiting until we have the money to pay for it.) We strive to live within our means.
The government, in contrast, seems to borrow more money whenever it doesn't have enough. "Oh - we're going to run out of money next week? Well just ask for more money from China or somewhere. We'll pay them back eventually..." So something called a debt ceiling (a limit to how much can be borrowed) keeps getting raised so the government can pay for the many programs and stuff that it keeps running.
They've reached their current debt ceiling. They are due to run out of money in a week, and congress has to come up with a budget to figure out how they are going to pay for their programs, as well as how they are going to make their loan payments.
So the Democrats are thinking, "Well, just raise the debt ceiling so we can pay our loans and our programs and get on with life."
The Republicans, on the other hand, are thinking, "Well hold on a minute. Why should we just raise the debt ceiling? We shouldn't be just borrowing more money here; we should be cutting back on our spending so we don't have to keep getting deeper in debt. Otherwise this whole cycle is going to happen again and again! Besides, how much more money is that whole health insurance for all thing going to cost? We've got to slow down this run away horse!"
Democrats: "What are you talking about? If we don't raise the debt ceiling, we'll default on our loans, and that will disrupt the whole global economy! That will be like the apocalypse! Just raise it already!"
Republicans: "Well, we can still raise it a little if we have to, but we need to cut spending at the same time. That's just good financial common sense."
Democrats: "But I don't want to cut spending anywhere."
Republicans: "Well then just cut back or delay the health insurance program for a while."
President: "What? Cut back or delay my baby? Never!!!"
Meanwhile, more and more people are becoming frustrated with the whole government. They are mad at Republicans for not getting with the program and raising the debt ceiling and agreeing to a budget without getting any concessions themselves (like a cutback or delay in the health care law). They are mad at the President for not negotiating with the Republicans and working out a solution. They are increasingly upset over the shutdown as it effects an increasing number of people. We teach our children how to stand for their principles when it is really important, but we also teach them when it is time to make a compromise, when to work for a solution that everyone can accept. Apparently our elected leaders still need to work on those skills.
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