You, me, America and the Congressional "fiscal cliff"

Yes, our own US Congress created this "fiscal cliff" and now they're bringing us closer and closer to it. They created it and they're the only ones who can bring us away from it.

How's that for irony?

And hypocrisy?

Want to know what "uncertainty" is responsible for a lack of growth in our economy? Look no further, this is it. This from the Wall Street Journal yesterday:

Firms Hit Brakes Before Fiscal Cliff

Here is why dozens of chief executives have inserted themselves into the debate over reducing the federal budget deficit: Some say uncertainty over the looming "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts already is hurting their business.

Here is why dozens of chief executives have inserted themselves into the debate over reducing the federal budget deficit: Some say uncertainty over the looming "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts already is hurting their business.

The "fiscal cliff" is shorthand for the double whammy set to take place at the end of the year. That is when spending cuts enacted to end a 2011 standoff over the U.S. debt ceiling are to take effect. At the same time, tax cuts first passed under George W. Bush will expire.

The spending cuts were designed to be so unpopular that they would prompt Congress to adopt a more sophisticated deficit-cutting plan. So far, that hasn't worked and officials of both parties don't expect serious talks until after the Nov. 6 election, which will go a long way to determining the course of negotiations.

The urgency of the situation was underscored Thursday when chief executives of more than 80 big U.S. corporations released a statement urging Congress to reduce the federal deficit with tax-revenue increases as well as spending cuts...

...There is no doubt most companies would suffer if the U.S. goes over the cliff. Economists say the tax increases and spending cuts would slow economic growth, and could push the U.S. back into recession.

Email your representative in the House. Email your senators. Let them know this is completely, totally and utterly unacceptable and that they need to get back to work. They need to get back to Washington and they need to compromise on this most-important of issues right now.

To close, a side note to our Representatives and Senators--get back to work, you slugs.

Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203400604578074920349130776.html

Republican Senators are losing their collective minds

First, the good news: the Senate defeated a bill proposed by Republican Senators that would have allowed gun owners with conceal-and-carry permits to transport their weapons across state lines.

Thank God for that.

The bad news is that it was proposed at all.

At what point will the madness with guns for Republicans and the NRA stop?

Do we have to have guns everywhere, like fast-food restaurants, churches and banks--some on every street corner?

What proposal for the distribution of guns will they NOT come up with?

"The legislation, an amendment to the defense-appropriations bill...was opposed by more than 400 mayors, top law-enforcement officials and some of the victims' families from the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, in which the gunman killed 32 people before committing suicide."

I should think so.

But naturally, it was proposed by a bunch of Republicans and supported a few knuckleheaded Democrats, unfortunately, and the ever-present, ever-pushing NRA.

Lunatics.

Can you imagine how police departments would be against this? That's all they need is more guns, flowing through more states, willy-nilly.

Get this--that pea-brain Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid voted for it. Sure he's from Nevada but do the right thing, Senator. This was stupid and a mistake for the country.

This past week, as I wrote earlier, we had a lady from the Kansas Department of Education who was leaving the area's Starlight Theater that was shot by a stray bullet in that neighborhood.

She was killed.

She was killed with her 13 year old daughter in the car.

She was killed in front of her Mother-in-Law.

And we need more guns, flowing easier from state to state?

Link to story:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009520941_guns23.html