October 17, 2013
Editor:
Dave Uphoff
The nation has again been brought to the edge of a financial collapse by brinkmanship employed by members of Congress. House Republicans, in their attempt to gut the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, threatened to allow the government to default if changes were not made to Obamacare. This was a desperate act that reflected not only the dysfunction in Congress but also the irrational behavior of the House Republican's right wing segment.Whether one likes it or not, Obamacare is now law. You do not gut a law by holding the country hostage. There are democratic ways of changing laws. The attempt by House Republicans to force Obamacare cuts reflects the "my way or the highway" mentality of the Baby-Boomer generation which now controls Congress. Attempts were made 45 years ago to stop Medicare. It also had its critics but over time the kinks were worked out and today Medicare is invaluable to our senior citizens. Likewise, Obamacare must also be refined and changed and maybe even eventually dropped. But it must be done through the legislative process, not through blackmail. The Republican's reason for eliminating Obamacare is that it would create an additional burden on small businesses, forcing them to either cut jobs or go out of business. This theory is just that - a theory. No one knows in fact what will happen but an article in the New Yorker by James Surowiecki refutes that theory. The article is worth reading and can be viewed by clicking here.
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The latest default crisis that resulted in a government shutdown costs the economy billions. In spite of the government, the economy is slowly recovering but the disparity between the rich and the poor is at an all time high. Instead of trying to stop Obamacare, Congress should be trying to stimulate the economy to bring jobs back to the middle class. Our infrastructure is in dire need of repair and funds should be allocated towards its repair. The constant squabbling in Congress creates uncertainty in the financial markets which in turn puts the brakes on economic recovery. If both political parties could discard their party mantras and work together to come up with a jobs creation program, economic growth could occur much faster. Our nation is changing whether we want it or not. We are becoming more diverse ethnically, economically and socially. Political decisions must be made based on this new reality, not on how they will affect the wealthy or the lobbyists in Washington. Until the Republican Party realizes this and as long as it is held hostage to its Tea Party constituents, there will be another round of brinkmanship that will drive more moderate Republicans away from the party.
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