(Article originally appeared at LinkedIn here)
Our two political parties in Washington could not look out the window, check the sky, and then agree with each other about whether it’s raining or bright sunshine!
That fact is particularly true for the four in the photo at the top of the page.
And yet, Pelosi, Schumer, Ryan and McConnell did the equivalent on a scale affecting hundreds of millions of people, coming to an agreement on a spending bill, apparently without the input of any of their fellow Democrats or Republicans.
In addition it seems that there will be very little time for any of the rank and file members of Congress to actually read the massive spending bill to ‘find out what is in it’ (2,232 page document).
Short Story – If your business lowered the prices for products it sells (Federal tax reform potentially lowers tax revenue) and increased costs at the same time (increased federal spending through this proposed bill) while depending on sales increasing exponentially to stay afloat (4% US economic growth needed and/or forecast), you would be risking it all in the process.
Of course the federal government, funded by you and I, can take these risks because they don’t have the bottom-line exposure a private-sector business does.
So is a spending bill like the one proposed that contains goodies appealing to some in each Party and that supposedly guarantee passage, why we elected representatives to go to Washington? Or, do we make our choices at the ballot box for those we think will go to Washington and act and vote in responsible ways that are actually in their constituents best interest? NOT THEIR OWN (i.e. fundraising, committee memberships and reelection)!
Congress will vote on a budget they don’t have time to even read to try and accomplish THEIR specific goals, not necessarily yours!
And yet, they will all run to the nearest microphone to claim victory…with a $1 trillion+ budget deficit hanging in the balance potentially for years to come!
Michael Haltman, President
Hallmark Abstract Service
mhaltman@hallmarkabstractllc.com, (646) 741-6101