lump of coal

After House Republicans over the weekend walked away from a tentative agreement to extend the payroll tax cut, Congress found itself locked in on a staring contest on Monday -- to see who would blink first.

And while that blinking first game is played, those of us who live paycheck to paycheck who count on every dollar of that paycheck, who are endlessly looking for more work are blinking with angst and anxiety. While the political posturing takes place by politicians who can pay their mortgages, have a job, enjoy beneficial health insurance, plan on lots of presents under the tree, the many of millions not as well off worry and wonder just how unimportant are we.

The plan as perceived by the Republican lawmakers is to fund the payroll tax cuts for an entire year, sounds sensible except to do so they require more cuts from any and all social services. (So cut back funding for money to the elderly, disabled, schools, health care etc, etc to pay for this and in doing so we pay Peter as we rob Paul.) The Republicans say this 2 month extension will stop the momentum by job creators who create jobs, what jobs? The Republicans say tax cuts for the wealthy are necessary to stimulate jobs, what jobs? The Republicans somehow seem to ignore the poor, the middle class, the underemployed, and the unemployed acting suddenly frugal when most people need help the most.

And as politics are played lives of the average American continue to be tortured. As the cocky, arrogant, reality removed politicians make a line in the sand the average American waits hoping even in the next two months they can pay their mortgage, their rent, their health insurance, and their utilities. And all of this so the one goal stated clearly and repeated over and over again by the Republicans, “to make Obama a one term president”, can come to fruition.

If we accept the one year arrangement for a payroll tax deduction, we then end up paying more to live, eat, stay healthy and retire. If we accept the premise that a two month only extension is bad for job creators, we once again wait for the next reason why those who can create jobs don’t. As we watch as this blinking game continues we also witness erosion in the belief that those we elect to office in this democracy of ours are working for us rather than them being as evil minded and selfish as any Fascist or Third World dictator.

The Democrats will cave in and leap at the lap of the Republicans for fear that the ignorant and uneducated will think the Dems love a good deficit. Those uneducated and ignorant will not take time to realize any cut backs in any social spending filters down to them. The Republicans will shout from the highest mount we are good for America and as they do so, less jobs will be created, and the so called job creators will not create new jobs, the lobby money from the wealthy will find its way into the Republican coffers and the gap between rich and poor will widen.

It is a matter of trying to equalize our lives in this country. It is a matter of caring that even a $100 more a month in a pay check is helpful. It is a matter of moving away from the partisanship of politics to the human side of governing. It is a matter of being honest as to why you are against the majority of Americans who live pay check to pay check and why you seem to enjoy keeping the rich rich. It is not about a one term president so you can keep us from them we from they.

Talk about a lump of coal in your stockings!