Cowardly President, Congress Yet Against Selects Path of Least Resistance
By Dale Glading | The Save Jersey Blog
In the absence of any true leadership in Washington, there is only one thing left to do concerning the pending sequestration, Save Jerseyans: let it happen.
Now before the doomsayers start jumping off the nearest cliff – and advising the rest of us to follow suit – let’s take a closer look at what the sequestration will really entail.
Simply put, it will require the federal government to roll back its spending to 2011 levels.
That’s right; all this blubbering about the sky falling in is nothing more than crocodile tears. When it’s all said and done, the bureaucrats inside the Beltway will still have the same amount of largesse they did two years ago.
Imagine having to “get by” on $3.538 trillion less a measly 2.4% cut?
The bottom line is that the federal government will still be spending $1 trillion more than it brings in each year. That’s called “deficit spending” and it’s crazy.
When things get tight at home, most Americans reduce their spending as drastically as needed. No more eating out, no summer vacation, fewer (if any) Christmas presents under the tree. I know people who have canceled their cable TV and cell phone contracts just to make ends meet. And with gas climbing to $4 per gallon, trips to the store are few and far between.
But Congress doesn’t seem to get it nor does our president.
The most egregious part of the sequestration agreement occurred just this week. The House Republicans proposed a deal that would allow cabinet officers and other department heads to decide which programs would be on the chopping block and which ones wouldn’t. In other words, they could prioritize and protect essential positions such as combat troops and air traffic controllers. Spending for non-essential programs such as sidewalks to nowhere in Florida would bear the brunt of the initial cuts.
As much as that seems to make sense, President Obama balked. His reason? He didn’t want to have to make the hard choices – you know, the ones that are supposed to go along with the office.
And so, afraid to be portrayed as the fall guy, he has chosen for the budget cuts to be made across-the-board, regardless of the consequences. So much for presidential leadership.
It now seems that the only way to prevent Congress from spending our tax dollars like drunken sailors and borrowing from China at an alarming rate is to force its hand. Bring on the sequester!
Be assured that when it comes, there will be no winners; only losers. Most of all, the American people will come out on the short-end of the stick because their elected representatives have once again chosen the path of least resistance over doing the right thing.
