The budget cuts in a debt-limit deal two years ago were designed to be so distasteful they would force Republicans and Democrats to compromise.
The deal established a super-committee, charged with recommending $1.2 trillion in savings or additional revenue to avoid automatic spending cuts for both defense and domestic programs.
As the clock ticked down toward the November 2011 deadline, though, super-committee members had effectively thrown up their hands, and each side was blaming the other for the stalemate.
No one, of course, was really surprised.
The sad thing is that gridlock is what we’ve all come to expect from Congress. That’s the reason the institution’s approval rating now rests in the single digits.
What was also predictable was that lawmakers would try to wriggle out of the booby trap they set for themselves. Even as the clock ticked toward the deadline, Republicans were looking for ways to stave off the nearly $500 billion in defense cuts while Democrats were insisting they would fight off any effort to take a larger chunk out of domestic programs. The measure calls for cuts of about $85 billion a year divided equally between defense and domestic programs. The law exempts Social Security, Medicaid and programs for veterans and the poor. It also limits Medicare to a 2 percent reduction.
Education, agriculture and environmental programs would be faced with cuts of around 8 percent.
Americans have watched this scene play out with resignation, but what the situation really demands is a sense of outrage.
The only way to truly fix Congress is to vote the rascals out, to reject the partisans on both sides of the aisle and replace them with senators and representatives who will be willing to compromise.
Continuing to fill Congress with individuals who refuse to meet in the middle will get us nothing but more partisan bickering.
Voters need to elect lawmakers who understand the need for give and take, who recognize that to get something you often have to be willing to give something up.
That concept seems lost on today’s senators and representatives.
Opinion
OUR VIEW: Sequester another reason for change
- Opinion
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- THORNS & ROSES: Week of May 16
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WOLFSIE: Writing on the walls
Sometimes when I am trying to think of an idea for my column, I just stare at the wall. That’s not a bad thing, because on the wall in my home office is a collection of special pieces of memorabi-lia that inspire me to write, reminding me of the talented people I have had the privilege to meet.
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HAYDEN: From good to great in education not the way
On the campaign trail last year and early into his administration, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said repeatedly that his goal as governor would be to take Indiana from “good to great.”
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THEIR VIEW: Big Brother looms large in D.C.
The federal government, working under the cloak of secrecy, has been having a heyday at the expense of all Americans.
First we learn the IRS has been targeting conservatives — applications for tax-exempt status by tea party groups were wrongly singled out for extra scrutiny. -
KITCHELL: Waste-to-energy a big waste of time
Had all of Logansport attended the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists Awards ceremony last month in Indianapolis, we all would have learned that the No. 1 editorial written in the state in the past year was about a subject that sounds familiar to Logansport residents.
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THEIR VIEW: Keep teens safe on the roadways
Indiana was able to achieve welcome decreases in teen-driving deaths after adopting graduated driver’s license laws. But it appears some of the benefits of easing teen drivers more slowly into the responsibilities associated with driving are leveling off.
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MARCUS: Where to put your money
Snail Smith’s real name is Stanley, but his contorted windup and slow pitches gave him the nickname, Snail, during his short baseball career.
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THEIR VIEW: Indiana loses a respected leader
At a time when our nation was deeply divided by war, social upheaval and political corruption, Otis R. “Doc” Bowen brought stability to Indiana in his eight years as governor largely through the strength of his personal integrity. He was respected, revered even, not only by fellow Republicans but also by independents and Democrats for his deep commitment to the state and its people.
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OUR VIEW: Mothers the greatest gift of all
Our mothers help guide us through the world around us, helping us sidestep disaster if at all possible. She holds our hand as we become the person we were meant to be. She knew us from the beginning, and if she had it her way, she’d know us to the very end.
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PUBLIC FORUM: Mayor tells residents of positive change
When the residents of Logansport elected me as their new mayor in November 2011, it was truly an honor.
Our city was battling back from a devastating loss of 1,500 jobs in five years, a recession that wasn’t letting up on the household income of our residents, a divided fire protection commitment in our county and an overall sense of loss in our community. - More Opinion Headlines
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