Americans frustrated by congressional stalemates

Americans frustrated by congressional stalemates

CHICAGO (AP) - As Americans watch yet another political drama play out on Capitol Hill - this time over whether to extend the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits - they have a question for Congress: Can’t you all just get along? For once?

“It’s like, ‘Kids, kids, kids,'” said Brenda Bissett, a lawyer from Santa Clarita, Calif., as she waited for coffee Wednesday at a Starbucks in downtown Los Angeles. “It’s just frustrating that there’s no compromise. I think that both parties have been listening too much to their far ends.”

Regardless of their backgrounds, incomes or political leanings, people say they’re angry and downright disgusted by the posturing in Washington after the House rejected a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut passed by the Senate, then both chambers adjourned for the holidays.

If lawmakers don’t act by Jan. 1, payroll taxes will jump almost $20 a week, or $1,000 a year, for a worker earning $50,000, and as much as $82 a week, or $4,272 a year, for a household with two high-paid workers. What’s more, about 6 million people could lose unemployment benefits, and Medicare payments to doctors would be slashed.

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Americans frustrated by congressional stalemates

Of course by now we all know, the Payroll tax deadlock ends as House caves, and I just don’t think anyone was too terribly surprised either.

Good or bad? I don’t really know, it looks like a temporary stop-gap measure to me, and it sure looks like the GOP, Boehner and Company, acquiesced to the Dems in an effort to get an OUT of D.C. To hell with America, it’s Christmas, and Congress has NOG to drink.

“It’s us, the average Joe, that’s getting caught in the middle,” said Ray Ramsey, a retired utility meter technician who works part-time for a medical-supply company.

Fellow diner Richard Longo, who owns a building-maintenance business, said he worries about the effect of the taxes on himself and his 30-plus employees. But he thinks there’s a lot of blame to go around.

“I truly believe that if the sides were reversed, if we had a Republican president and a Democratic Congress, we’d still be going through the same thing,” he said.

And I have to agree, I honestly don’t believe either side has the best interest of America in their bag of goodies.

I can’t help but be reminded George Bush had a GOP Congress, Senate and SCOTUS.

Even with FULL GOP control, other than a couple of decent SCOTUS positions being filled, not too much happened that can be looked upon as good.

But Scott Gessner, a Boston man who works with homeless women and children, said he’s suspicious of House Republican demands for a yearlong extension.

“We can’t repeal Bush’s tax hikes for the extremely wealthy, but we are going to let this one expire, which affects millions of millions of millions of more people and the middle class?” Gessner said. “What I’d like to know is … what do the Democrats have to give up to get the one-year bill?”

What I want to know is WHY do the Democrats continue to spend like drunken sailors.

Why does the Obama family jet off to the same location, on separate jets? Why does the 1st Family (Mooch and Company) take the extravagant vacations that they do?

America is broke, why then do we see stories like this? Was Obama dog Bo flown back from Hawaii holiday to Washington for photo op?.

“It’s a fight between the parties. It’s really not about the citizens,” said Sandra Robinson, an administrative officer at the Department of the Interior in Little Rock, Ark., who depends on the extra money to help pay her daughter’s college tuition.. “They don’t care about us.”

Sandra Robinson said the most truthful thing that can be said, “They don’t care about us.” and she is right on the mark. The Congress, Senate and White House don’t give a DAMN about you or me, all they care about is their position and how much *slop* they can take on at the feed trough of U.S. government.

The House and Senate, as well as Obama and Company, believe we are ALL stupid, too stupid to see them for what they are and what they are doing.

I am firmly convinced that the GOP is nothing more than ‘Dem Lite’, and lately, not all that lite if the truth was told. I am also firmly convinced that we must have TERM LIMITS for the House and Senate. No Congressman or Senator should make a career of their office.

It’s time to clean Washington, D.C. out America, I mean clean them ALL out! Return this nation and it’s government to the state it was intended, Congressmen and Senators that have to WORK for a living, no lifetime benefits, no extra ‘perks’, you serve your nation because it is an HONOR to serve your nation, not because you can become a millionaire in the process.

Next November vote out every incumbent, no matter who it is, and I know, some will say, “Oh, but my Congressman/Senator isn’t a part of the problem, my guy is one of the good guys.”

That may be true, yours may BE a good one, I consider MINE to be a good one too, but it is time to shake Washington, D.C. up like never before, it’s time to install NEW blood, or the next move may be the *letting* of blood.