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Health & Fitness

Broken Government Forces People To The Streets

You can criticize the methods of Occupy protestors. You can criticize some of the messages. What is hard to criticize is the fact that Americans don't have a voice in government policy.

You can criticize the methods of Occupy protestors. You can criticize some of the messages. What is hard to criticize is the fact that Americans don’t have a voice in government policy. 

Congress has a mandate from the people to create jobs. Instead what the people have seen is obstruction. Not one Jobs Bill has come out of the House of Representatives since the legislators from the election of 2010 took their seats.  Instead they have offered bills to stop funding NPR (National Public Radio), to stop funding Planned Parenthood, to end government funding of abortion (which already is a law).

If you’re unemployed, in danger of losing your home or dealing with health issues while uninsured, is this what you want them to be focused on? Meanwhile in October they blocked consideration of the American Jobs Act, which included jobs for construction workers, teachers, veterans, tax cuts for small businesses, tax cuts for the middle class and jobs programs to fix America’s deteriorating roads and bridges. 

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Obstructionism in Congress is clear:


  • Weeks were spent debating whether to raise the debt ceiling when it was obvious that failure to do so would only cause a deeper recession. It’s hard to believe that the average American doesn’t realize that spending cuts NOW would reduce jobs not create them.

  • Republican Congressmen fought the funding of the Economic Development Authority (EDA). Historically every dollar of EDA investment attracted $7 in private sector investment. It would have been a chance to create over a million jobs over the life of the bill. It was an effective jobs bill signed by every administration since Lyndon Johnson because it is an intelligent program. This year it was supported by both the AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce.

  • Republicans have been unyielding when it comes to raising revenue by taxing the top 1 percent of wage earners. Most have signed a pledge to Grover Norquist not to raise taxes. Recently Norquist said Republican leaders in both chambers promised him they wouldn't accept a debt reduction deal that included tax hikes.  Who elected Norquist?  The debt limit agreement that was reached will deepen the recession. It is estimated that one and a half million jobs will be lost because of it.

In the Senate, 51 senators voted for discussion of a measure to promote job growth by providing $60 billion to fund transportation projects and create a new infrastructure bank. The bill would be paid for by raising taxes on those earning over $1 million a year. This infrastructure bill was crushed in the Senate because Republicans launched a filibuster where 60 votes were needed to begin debate. They didn’t even allow the bill to be debated by the Senate body. We are demonstrating to the world that our government is incapable of forming and implementing sensible public policy. A record number of filibusters scarcely demonstrates a functioning government. Is it any wonder that the recent polls show a 9 percent approval rating for our Congress?

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Are Republican representatives deliberately sabotaging the economy for political purposes? Is it more important for them to make sure President Obama is not re-elected than to put Americans back to work? The Senate and Congress on both sides of the aisle must do the people’s business. If they fail to do so, make your voices heard whether it be by demonstrating, calling your representatives' offices or by exercising the power of your vote.

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