I was skimming an article this morning written by David Brooks of the NY Times and something he said really hit me. He said, “I used to think that the political leaders could avert fiscal suicide. But it’s now clear change will not be led from Washington.” A feeling of sadness, anger, and frustration overwhelmed me coupled with a feeling of hopelessness. Then, I began to think about it some more – isn’t that the job of our Senators and Representatives? To lead? The ones that we have chosen to speak on our behalf? The ones who WE THE PEOPLE pay with our taxes?
The reason Mr. Brooks’ words spoke to me is because I watched the recent State of the Union address. It was so clear to me the deep political divide among those who “serve”. There seems to be no level of cooperation on either side, so NOTHING is getting done. Both sides are so focused on the next election, that the immediate, dire needs of their constituents are being ignored to make way for personal political agendas. The thing is, if you do right by the people, they will do right by you and you won’t have to worry about the next election.
One of the worst offenders is Congressman John Boehner from Ohio. I am certainly not naïve enough to believe that Mr. Boehner, by himself, is responsible for the downfall of America, but fighting a proposal that is presented solely because it came from the Democratic side of the room is not helpful, nor constructive. Face it, neither side is going to get a Health Care bill that is completely what they wanted or a Jobs bill that is going to include/exclude everything either. The reason we elect officials is so they can investigate all the options and create the best bill they can – which means that both parties will more than likely have to come to some sort of compromise. That’s what this country was founded on and I believe the folks serving in our Congress need to be reminded of that simple fact.
Obama won the presidential election on his platform of hope and change – memories of people (myself included) chanting “Yes we can” are still in my mind. Unfortunately, not much has changed and many people are losing hope. I appreciate President Obama’s attempt to “reach across the aisle” to get Republican support for his proposals, but frankly, with the state of the congress right now, HE needs to be the one to do something or things are going to continue to deteriorate. I do realize the mess he walked into and I do not expect the economy to be fixed overnight, but it’s time to step up to the plate. Running a country is messy, boys. Time to get your hands dirty!
It occurred to me that the people in Congress are so far removed from the realities of life in America that I no longer feel that they represent me. If you are a first or second term Senator or Representative, then you probably still remember what real life is like. Do yourself and your constituents a favor – get out of Washington for a while. I’m not suggesting that resignations are in order, I’m merely suggesting that spending meaningful time with ordinary people who are trying to live their lives from day-to-day might do some good. They don’t want your pity or even your friendship. They just want you to do right by them. Then, and only then, will you begin to see changes happening and see hope reappear.