They Just Don't Get It!

I admit...I love living in my own little "happy world."  I don't like to watch the news.  It stresses me out, especially when I can't do anything about it.  But, I'm an NPR Junkie.  I listen to it whenever I'm in the car, and lately that's quite a bit of time.  Actually, I listen to NPR when I'm not listening to my IPod, but that's neither here nor there.

Recently, most of the news stories have been about the Federal Budget.  I know I have no direct impact on what Congress and the White House do, so I try not to get stressed, but hearing about the budget battles have managed to get my blood pressure to a high level!

At one point in my life, I was a hard line Democrat.  I don't know what I am now because quite honestly, both parties are making me sick!  Both have turned the budget into a political fight rather than what is best for the country.

So, as we write to our representatives (as if they read what we write), I think we need to keep the following points in mind:

1. Budgets are Moral Documents.  Yes, I'm stealing this from Jim Wallis (Editor of Sojourner's Magazine), but he's right.  Where your money goes is where your priorities go.

2. While I understand that the rich are the ones who have the ability to provide jobs (in the words of a Republican who I can't remember- "When was the last time a poor person hired someone?"), as Americans, they should not be immune from taxes.

3. Teachers, Public Radio/TV, Unions, etc. are not the enemy.  They did not bankrupt our country, they did not cause the economic crisis we are in now.

4. Soldiers are not our enemy, but there are military projects which do not need funded.  We have out dated technology that is still funded through our taxes.

5. 1 Full scale war (Afghanistan), 1 war where we are "advisors" (Iraq), and 1 where we are participants (Libya) are bankrupting us.  Maybe it's time to think about ending these wars where we have no clear mission other than to eliminate "terrorists."  Does the government realize that by killing one "terrorist" (and I use quotation marks because defining a terrorist is not as simple as we'd like to think) you create at least one more (someone in that person's family or circle of friends).  Maybe it's time to take Ghandi's words to heart: "An eye for an eye will make the world blind," or Jesus' words: "Blessed are the peacemakers..."

6.  Unemployment may be bankrupting us, but why do we need it?  Because people in the low tax bracket (i.e. the very wealthy) destroyed our economy, and not 1 person has been held accountable!  Why would we even consider taking away unemployment when there are no jobs to be had?

7. Cuts to education, health care, state hospitals, social services will only hurt us in the long run.  Public schools, subsidized health care, welfare, medicare, etc. may not be the answer to the problem, but they are not the cause of the problem.  I can agree they (maybe) shouldn't be immune to cuts, but they should not bear the brunt.  And, if the people have to suffer the cuts, then wouldn't it be great if our law makers, corporate executives, etc. would take a "token pay cut" themselves?  If we refuse to educate our children in a way that is 1st class, then don't expect to have 1st class citizens.

9.  Cutting money from prisons is not the answer either.  Of course people did something bad to be there.  They sinned.  It was wrong.  But, if they are going to come back to society, I want them rehabilitated as much as possible, not institutionalized.

10. Cutting Higher Education (college) only creates less educated people who could possible help in the future.
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I admit a lot of this is idealistic.  Cuts have to be made, but it is not moral to make the middle and lower class bear the brunt of the cuts.  Why are those who say this called "Bad Americans" when businesses who are "taxed too much" who take their businesses overseas where they can get slave like work for little wages "just doing business?"

So, what about this?:
1. EVERYONE pay equitable percentage of taxes.  We are the UNITED States, not a group of individuals.

2. Cut the "fat" from the "meat."  Education and health care are not "fat."  We ARE our brother's keeper (Read Genesis 4 - Cain and Abel).

3. If Lawmakers think public employees should take a pay cut (or benefits, or lose bargaining rights), then they should lose their perks as well.  They ARE public employees too!

4. Compromise!  This is not the time for ideological fights over trivial matters.  OK, there's really never a time for that, but now less than ever!

5. Law makers need to follow the Golden Rule, or Rabbi Hillel's "reverse" Golden Rule ("What is hateful to you, don't do to others).