LEGISLATION:

My sincere hope was that we would have a National Budget and no Government Shutdown by the time I wrote this newsletter. However, there is no budget!

My hope was also that the budget would reflect a situation where everyone was paying their fair share to reduce the National Debt. That doesn’t seem to be the case either.

Some simple observations: first, the Congress seems to be arguing more about programs and their value than about monies. I thought these programs were passed in good faith in the past, and now it is the responsibility of congress to support these programs. If some Congress persons want to reevaluate a particular program, that should be done at another time. What seems to be happening is just plain mean spirited. The focus should be on money not programs that have been decided on in the past.

Second, the position of House Leader seems to have sunk to an all time low. I actually pity House Speaker John Bohner, R-Ohio. The tea party has divided the conservatives and prevented the Speaker from representing a consensus. Every point requires the tea parties’ approval and then post approval when the next position is taken. They can never seem to come to one uniform conservative position, because they are not true conservatives. The tea party has no feeling for compromise. It is their way or no way.