And Now Sherry Rants about Politics...

We have seen that our Representative Republic cannot manage itself. Our government spends money hand over fist we do not have, at roughly 3.97 billion per day or 45,949 dollars per second.  Basically enough to fund a college student for a year at a private school with board, give or take 5k. 

Just 4 seconds of your Government's time, 2 if it's a state school.

We should be screaming at them.

Neither the President nor the Senate nor the House have any actual intentions of dealing with this, as all of the piggies have their noses in the trough. The few that have attempted to restrain spending lack the political capital to get anything to happen. The Senate hasn't passed a budget in three years.  The President's budget is so not serious, not even any Democrats voted for it out of party loyalty. 

Anyone can google the existing programs of the Federal Government and find Waste. Waste. Waste and more waste.  Nothing happens to stem it.

I'm sorry.  It's just way way way too much to spend giving small coctail appetizers exercise. I like my shrimp Jumbo sized.

And all they know is sick shrimpies don't do as well?  I'm sure they know more but that's the selling point?

(In fairness, I watched three different videos of the scientists explaining their work and picked this one because it was 1) shortest and 2) the other two had more about the shrimp being an internet sensation.  I did look at their website and their perspective, but have a mill for a treadmill....and to study shrimp. And this is just the project that we know about. What we don't know about, is all the par-tays the GSA, Secret Service, Solyndra and others have been having on our dime. 

So things are not working. And Romney or Obama, Congress shall remain its spending don't look a problem in the eye kick it down the road CHARGE it in practice.   Except we can't go on indefinitely.  If we took away all the money of all the millionaires and billionaires in this country and even took the entire fortunes of the fortune 500, we'd still not be able to  finance all that we spend and certainly not what people want spent today and tomorrow and the tomorrow after that.  

MEMO to both parties: If it's bad when THEY do it, it's BAD when YOU DO IT.  See: Gitmo, Guantanamo, suspending habeas corpus, drone strikes, torture, restricting religious liberties, taxing on top of taxing, wasteful allocation of funds, crony capitalism and crony federalism, no bid contracts, factually devoid hit pieces on opposition, lewd, crude and socially unacceptable behavior of every flavor, spin, lies, revolving door lobbying, and for sale access. Corrupt is Corrupt. Stink is stink.  Evil is as evil does and a letter R or D is irrelevant.  

I know in part why we're not out there screaming. We've yelled. We've voted. We've done Occupy or Tea Party and had 15 seconds of coverage and now there is nothing.  No difference. The glaring absolute shrug of shoulders by those in power to any of the grievances about all of this tells us, we are no longer a free people.  We are the funders of those in power, who get to keep what those in power deem appropriate.  And we get to fund whatever they want, for as long as they want, regardless of our own objections, be they religious, fiscal or political.  Pay your taxes, shut up and go home. 

We have a hydra on our hands with as many heads as it has dollars.   First rule in fighting a hydra. 
We need to at least stop creating new heads. 

If we just were to keep spending at a fixed level until we begin to clear away some of this...2008 levels in all things, it would be a start.

If we also froze Congress pay so they can't give themselves pay raises anymore, that would be a symbolic recognition that the government ought to show the same restraint that the private sector must when times are tight.

And, if the government opted for shaving simply 2% of its entire budget --leave the actual cuts to the actual departments but they must submit a budget that is 2% less than last year's. No auxiliary. No extra. No getting around. Everything must be included. No accounting tricks. No funding tricks. Everything.  Then we might start to recognize that budgets are like diets. They require discipline and consistency and most importantly, time. As a country, we're not giving ourselves even a starting chance at this; it's like we start every morning with a bucket of fried chicken and a whole chocolate cake, wash it down with a six pack of beer and say, "Today, I'm going to lose 10 pounds!" It's not happening. 

But that's a lot of "Ifs."  Frankly, I think my odds are better if I wish for a pony. 

We need a constitutional amendment to demand that Congress live within the means provided by the tax payers and not institute taxes that are retroactive or proactive to fund today. We need it because the politicos of today lack the moral courage to do this with the power they've been given absent the force of law.  

It's been a long time since I did a political post, mostly because this year, I'm just discouraged. I do not see anyone the least bit interested in spending less. I do not see anyone the least bit interested in reducing my family's tax rate. I do see people spending money like mad and with nary a concern about results, effects or reality. I have no faith in the GOP --Romney? Really? The guy who can do great in the blue states...but won't win a one of them?   Thanks. If the Republicans lose the White House, I hope they learn to get rid of the tired argument, "It's His Time." Dole and McCain ring any bells people?

And Obama? Please. The man has in three years, spent more than any President in the history of our nation.... Combined.  He doesn't think there's a problem his government can't solve.  He doesn't see the problem. He's shown zero leadership in this area and all the pretty speeches in the world aren't going to make me believe that he's suddenly become a fiscal hawk.

Remember when the DNC used to howl about deficit spending under Reagan and how bad that was? Remember when the DNC wrung its hands about how crazy Bush was for spending so much? I do. I agreed with them. It's not often that happens.  Does anyone in Washington actually know how to get things done that don't involve creating more entitlements or spending more money?  We used to know. Not that long ago either I might add. 

Our government need not continue as it has, but it will take people of courage to do otherwise.  Here's hoping there are enough people left in the House and Senate who could make this the priority, this the purpose, so that government of the people, by the people, for the people, might not vanish from the Earth due to lack of funds.  Because the alternative...no matter what political stripe you root for, won't be pretty.