Dear Angry Liberals:
I understand your dislike of extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. After 10 years of watching the rich get richer while the working “joe” takes home less and less…I’m angry too. I would much prefer to see those who benefited so much from paying so little for so long, finally pay back a little to the country that allowed them to reach the standard of living that they enjoy so much.
What I don’t understand is why you are directing all of your anger at the President. It seems to me that both the House and Senate should also share equally (if not more so) in blame. After all, they were the ones who kicked the proverbial “can” down the road until after the election to benefit their own chances for re-election. Perhaps if they had been willing to address this issue earlier, the President would have stood firmer IF he had more time to negotiate.
You see, the real issue here is TIME! Simply put, it’s run out for 4.2 million of our fellow Americans. These are the people who will lose unemployment benefits by the end of February if Congress fails to pass an extension. These are the people who will cancel Christmas because they don’t know if they will have the money to pay the gas bill or buy groceries to feed their families.
I know the argument you’re using to refute this point. EVENTUALLY the Republicans will cave due to political pressure back home and vote to extend benefits and then everything will be hunky-dory for us all. The problem with this argument lies in the definition of “eventually”. When exactly does “eventually” happen? Does it happen on December 22nd or January 8th? Do a mere 14 days really matter when you are looking at the big picture in the grand scheme of governance?
Perhaps not. But when you look at the little picture and how those 14 days can affect the lives of Americans who are facing the end of their benefits right before Christmas….it means LOTS!! Will you have the money to pay the rent without a penalty if your check is two weeks late? If you are living from check to check….how do you budget for 14 days of food with no means of paying for it? If you have made a deal to pay $25 per month on an overdue utility bill and you miss that payment….your deal is suddenly void and you owe the entire bill and they want it paid NOW! Not in 14 days.
I don’t like the fact that we are being held hostage by Republicans but I don’t know how to change that fact. I don’t like seeing the President give in…but I don’t want to watch people I know try to figure out how to survive with no income either. And one thing I think we can all agree on….Republicans DON’T give a damn. They play this game every time and when you’re living on this side of the Potomac River, it’s not a game. It’s a grim reality. Delays in Washington to play politics, causes real pain in Middle America.
Perhaps in your anger over the President “caving”, you could take time to see what we are getting for this compromise that no one really likes. You know, really neat things like the realization that benefits are safe for another 13 months. That many of the tax credits for college and other “stimulus” tax cuts are going to continue. (You didn’t forget that those were also ready to expire did you?) Tax breaks for those of us who are not making lots of money are also included in this deal. And while it won’t save much for those on the lower end of the economic ladder….what is saved will be put back into the general economy because the poor don’t tend to hide their tax savings away in a bank. They spend it. And without this compromise, all of the money that is used for unemployment benefits, small tax breaks for the middle class, etc….all of this money disappears from the economy. And that hurts us all. But to get this without delay….we have to compromise with Republicans to help their “protected class”. The filthy rich!
So let me ask the angry liberals to do me one favor. Before you are willing to condemn the President for “caving” as you stand around the water cooler at work, take a moment to thank God for the job that puts you in the position to be angry about this. And then go home, look your 10 year old child in the eyes and tell him that Christmas is cancelled this year. There will be no toys, no visit from Santa this year because you have to make sure that you can keep the lights on. Take a moment to discuss with your wife how she needs to consider moving soon because you simply can’t afford the house anymore. Call the cable company and cancel your service because you can’t afford to watch TV anymore. And after you have done all that….you’ve walked a mile in my shoes and the shoes of many other Americans this holiday season and now you may criticize the President.
Merry Christmas!