Are They Really Serious?

“THE FISCAL CLIFF”  “THE FISCAL CLIFF”  “THE FISCAL CLIFF”  “THE FISCAL CLIFF”  “THE FISCAL CLIFF”

If you follow politics you know that “THE FISCAL CLIFF” has dominated the past several news cycles.

Well, that is until the biographer of the head of the CIA sent some anonomous threatening emails to a woman who was a friend of the head of the CIA which caused the woman friend of the head of the CIA to call a friend of hers who was an agent for the FBI who as a favor looked into the threatening emails sent to the friend of the head of the CIA which revealed that the head of the CIA was having an affair with the biographer of the head of the CIA which led to the FBI’s investigating as to whether the biographer of the head of the CIA had access to the head of the CIA’s computer which housed sensitive documents relating to national security all of which led to the resignation of the head of the CIA and some very pissed off members of the CIA, Congress and the White House who did not know that the FBI was conducting an investigation into the activities of the head of the CIA.

But that’s another story…

“THE FISCAL CLIFF” while not near as fun as the whole CIA/affair/resignation thing is a lot more important to the country.

For the uninitiated, “THE FISCAL CLIFF” is a combination of across the board tax increases and massive spending cuts that are set to go into effect on 1/1/2013.  “THE FISCAL CLIFF” tax increases and spending cuts were agreed to by both Democrats and Republicans as an incentive to force the bi-partisan SUPER Committee to reach a grand bargain on resolving the nation’s debt and deficit problems.  The Super Committee failed to come to a consensus; hence the “THE FISCAL CLIFF.” 

It has been said by numerous sources that if “THE FISCAL CLIFF” measures are allowed to go into effect they will take the country into a recession.  That may or may not be true as “THE FISCAL CLIFF” is more like a gradual “FISCAL SLOPE.”  Nevertheless, everyone in Washington is running around with their hair on fire over the impending doom. 

We find the hysteria over “THE FISCAL CLIFF” laughable.  Because in spite of their high minded rhetoric regarding the travesty of leaving “a mountain the debt to our future generations” neither congress nor the White House has lifted a finger to do anything about it...in fact quite the opposite.   

Please allow a brief history lesson.

You will recall that in 2009 the Republicans, led by the Tea Party were screaming at the top of their lungs about the runaway spending enacted by the President and the Democrat led Congress.  Auto bailouts, stimulus, Obamacare were just a few of the components that raised the debt and deficit.  Democrats argued that the increase in spending was necessary to pull the country away from…get ready for it…”THE FISCAL CLIFF.”  But they vowed to accept a balanced approach to fiscal responsibility once the economy righted itself.

The voters bought into the Tea Party theory and in 2010 wrestled control of Congress from the Democrats.  Democrats got their butts whipped.  The Republican’s stunning victory led them to believe that they had a mandate to slash government spending to the bone.

Less than six weeks later the fiscally conservative Republicans along with the equally reckless White House reached an agreement to EXTEND the Bush tax cuts for two more years…without paying for them…thereby ADDING $800 billion dollars to the nation’s debt.

Now fast forward to 2012.

Republicans continue to call for spending cuts.  Democrats agree but want a balance approach that includes increased revenues (taxes) as well.

Does it not strike you as odd that the self imposed, automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that both sides are now frantically trying to avoid…are the very same ones that they say we need to enact in order to fix the economy?

So you have to ask yourself; are these folks really serious about fixing the economy?

And aren't you tired of reading "THE FISCAL CLIFF?"