Dear Editor:
First, I'd like to say that I thoroughly enjoy the Saturday edition and look forward each week to reading the opinion articles sent in by the residents of Schuylkill and surrounding counties. It is filled with a diverse selection of letters showing that people are engaged in what is going on through out the nation and here in Pennsylvania. It also reflects upon the facts of certain issues and the misinformation that is out there.
Recently there were a few articles, pro and con, about raising the debt ceiling. It made me aware that a lot of people don't truly understand what it is and how it works.
The fact is that every time legislation is passed that supports a certain program etc. doesn't mean it is paid for. So it is then put on our so called "credit card". The Bush tax cuts, the two wars and the prescription drug plan are examples of "charging" the cost.
In December, 2010, the Republicans, Democrats and President Obama agreed to extend the tax cuts, adding another $800 billion to the deficit. This expense was not paid for but "charged" thus requiring President Obama to request a hike in the debt ceiling in January. Granting these extensions in effect used up more of the current debt ceiling amount and so the time allotted to reach the ceiling was considerably shortened because we were, once again, charging…in other words…spending. The Republicans were more than willing to "spend" this money, put it on the charge, to benefit the wealthy and big corporations but can't seem to swallow doing the same for the little guy. Why is that? Darned if I know.
Well, if you think things are bad now, wait until these cuts, demanded by the so-called GOP (which, by the way, means Government of the People) start taking effect. Especially the no extension of Unemployment Insurance in this bill. Why, that would be spending and thus "charging" to the card. (Remember we need to stop spending more than we take in, unless it applies to the upper class.) While losing their only source of cash the unemployed will also find that they don't qualify for any other programs designed to help the little guy because of the cutbacks. Just the same as the laying off of policemen, firefighters, school teachers is a direct result of federal cuts to the states and this is ironic, the trickle down effect seems to apply to cut backs but never seemed to materialize for the low and middle class as far as jobs and prosperity that the tax cuts were supposed to bring, the states in turn must cut back and who do you think it directly affects? You guessed it…us…the little guy.
Everyone can expect our taxes to be raised to help offset the shortfalls in the state budget. While Governor Corbett can brag that the state didn't raise taxes, in effect his cutbacks will leave the counties no choice but to do so and therefore bear the burden of fault. Who's he kidding? Not me.
This new legislation is filled with cuts that we know nothing about and unfortunately won't know until they start hitting home.
As unemployment starts to increase again, due to these layoffs resulting from cutbacks, the present administration will no doubt be blamed. But who really is at fault?
Maybe now our members of congress can, hopefully, start concentrating on job creation. Jobs with meaning, jobs that pay a decent wage, jobs that offer health care.
No wait a minute. Now, after all the temper tantrums, stomping of feet and walking out on negotiations the brats get to take a 5 week vacation. Never mind that they left DC without giving additional funding for the FAA resulting in 4,000 employees not getting paid and 70,000 construction workers being laid off until they return, This will make the jobs report next month terrible and of course, they'll blame the administration. Why not take a week and come back to get down to business.
But while we scramble for employment, big friendly corporations of our republican party continue to move jobs overseas. The no tax paying corporation, GE, has just recently announced that it is moving one of their companies to China. So much for those jobs and the people that worked there. While over 9 million jobs have been lost here big corporations have created over 8 million jobs overseas. So you see, they are creating jobs, just not here.
With campaigning for 2012 starting up, we need to hold all our elected officials accountable. In just a few months more cuts will automatically come into play if no agreement is reached about just what to cut and how much. More pain, but no shared sacrifice.
I don't know the answers to our problems but I do know that the end result is not going to be good for the average joe like us, the working stiff, the poor, the middle class, and the seniors. We're all in for a rough ride ahead. Of course, unless you're wealthy, but that goes without saying.
Janet Anderson
New Ringgold
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Comments
Janet,
I'd like to thank you for educating all the people who don't understand how the debt ceiling works because they have a different opinion than you. And to do so in such a middle of the road approach really adds to your credibility. Your bipartisan approach leads me to have no idea what political party you endorse. All I need to hear is that you were educated at Cal Berkely and I'd vote for you to run for President because of your inate ability to compromise and bring people to the table....
All kidding aside, it's this type of positioning that has caused the stand off over our debt. It seems like the media does not allow a person to just be a democrat or a republican anymore. You have to be over the top one way or the other. Obama is our President. And the people who lean a bit towards the middle support our President even when they disagree with him as long as he stands on his own two feet, reaches out to the other party, and takes responsibility for his job. President Bush is retired and pointing the finger at him does nothing. It's wasted time, wasted ink, and wasted breath. As if Obama is the first president in history to walk into a tough call of duty. I'm tired of the dog ate my homework, I earned the 'A' while the teacher gave me the 'C' mentality.
As for the Republicans being for the rich and Democrats for the poor, I'm not exactly sure I buy it. The vast majority of wealthy states are predominantly democratic (some overwhelmingly) while the poor states are Republican. Richest: New York, Mass., New Jersey, Conn., California, Illinois, Maryland, etc. while the poorest states Mississippi, West Virginia, La., vote the other way? The states in the middle of our wealth ladder, Ohio, PA, etc. flop back and forth between parties. Additionally, the dispartiy between classes (i.e. the rich get richer theory) grew larger during the Clinton years than in any other period in our countries history. Maybe two fold, it wasn't even close. Does that mean Clinton didn't care about the poor? Of course not. In some ways is like the Dems give a man a fish and feed him for a day while the republicans are at least trying to teach him to fish.... and that is not popular. Nor or they great at doing so.
I think it's hilarious that you chose GE's Jeffrey Immelt to bash big business when Barrack chose Jeff to be his top outside economic advisor. I actually have nothing to add to this for fear of offending you and turning this into a name calling contest. I'll assume you'll chalk this up to being somewhat nieve and not checking facts before bashing the party you despise.
Unemployment was at 7.8% when Obama took office and has not spent one single day below that figure. You seem to be reaching when you mentioned the 4,000 FAA workers. I also think it's counterproductive to smear big business as the devil, demand more in taxes (which would only get passed on to us) and in the same breath accuse them of not highering anyone. I have a thought. Something like 80% of our economy's employment is with small businesses. Lets say you own a trucking company in Scranton. Business dried up in 2008. Diesel fuel prices increased. To stay afloat you had to lay off 5 of the 20 people you employ. Then in 2010 when business picked up a little bit in 2010 would you have hired those 5 people back when you have zero idea what you are going to have to pay for their healthcare? Do a youtube search and what Nanci Pelosi say, and I quote "we need to pass the healthcare bill so we can find out what's in it".... Honestly, you think you might wait to see what happens? We needed healthcare reform. We needed Obamacare at this moment in time like a hole in the head. Some will say there is never a good time for healthcare reform. Well that may be true but he couldn't have picked a worse time.
I think the answer is to find a strong president who is able to see what each party brings to the table and focus on what needs to be done at that time. Clinton and Reagan were very hard left and right in their first terms, they got beat up in the mid-term elections so they found themselves leaning towards the middle and brought the parties together for some time. Obama made Clinton look like a Tea Party Candidate in his first term. He used the super majority to push health care and anything he wanted down everyones throat. He was beyond cocky, not ready to lead this country, and unable to see anyone elses point of view. He points the finger unlike anyone I've ever seen and has truly lived up to his community organizer level of experience. And worse yet, the Republicans had no one that could beat him so what does that tell you. Obama is trying to come to the middle and the right especially the far right are not having any of it and that too is a problem. Our government is disfunctional right now and I think it's largely because of who is running both parties.
And, as we sit today and watch the mudslinging in congress as to why the debt rating was lowered, and watch our White House say that S&P's rating was fundamentally flawed because the debt number was actually $20 trillion instead of $22 trillion we can all rest assued that no on is looking in the mirror.
Waaaaa...waaaaaaaa....waaaaaaa the evil Republicans want to take away my goodies Mommy Gubament!
You are truly clueless Janet. Like where you mention this little tidbit.."The no tax paying corporation, GE, has just recently announced that it is moving one of their companies to China"...right after claiming the GOP is sending jobs overseas....really? GE CEO Jeff Immelt is Obamas right hand man and his "job czar"...but you don't want to mention that fact because it doesn't fit with your far left communist ideology. You are disingenuous because you start things off by implying all politicians are responsible but then focus on blaming the GOP. The fact is neither party is "for the people" and you deluding yourself if you think the Democrats are. Our country is in trouble because of overspending and it has to stop. "With campaigning for 2012 starting up, we need to hold all our elected officials accountable"...believe me our elected officials will be held accountable starting with your messiah Barry Obama!
"You are disingenuous because you start things off by implying all politicians are responsible but then focus on blaming the GOP."
You really think you have room to criticize someone else about this? If both parties are responsible, why do you only complain about Democrats? This comment seems a bit hypocritical to me.
Again, you seem to think that anyone who is critical of Republicans automatically accepts everything that Democrats do, which is silly, illogical reasoning.
"...your far left communist ideology."
What about this letter indicates that the author wants common ownership of the means of production and the abolishing of private property? Can you point it out? I must have missed it.
I know demagogues on certain "news" shows have made it fashionable to call everything you don't agree with "socialist" or "communist". These words do have real meanings, though, and it would behoove you to learn them.