CONGRESS

Hey there sagacious reader. I'll be the first to admit that it's been a while since I've watched the news (so depressing!) and am not exactly current on the mysterious workings of the government. So I find myself in a bit of a conundrum.  Government employees don't get to work until the budget is passed. And they don't get paid for their (involuntary) time off work.  (Well, now that's fair - can I sue Congress for lost wages?) 

There seems to be a lot of back and forth regarding national health care coverage, aka Obamacare. Well, what's new?  (Oh, I know, the name!) This issue has come up again and again over the years.  I think maybe the "people" are interested in some solution to their health care problems. Apparently the democrats are all for it which automatically means that the republicans are all against it. (Surprise!)  And the rest of us suffer.

The bickering between these two parties is never ending. It's like the Hatfields and McCoys have moved to Washington and taken over.  Will the fighting never end? Probably not.  It's bad enough being the laughing stock of the entire world.  (I understand that most countries have national health care coverage and have for years and are managing just fine, thank you.)  But shutting down government?  Really?  That's the best solution they could come up with?  Be that as it may (and surely is) is it really necessary to shut down while these two (parties) duke it out trying to come up with a budget that will please everyone?  Like that's ever going to happen.  Give and take, that's the way the system has always functioned.  Sometimes it works better than others.

Well here's my view on give and take.  Give the government workers their jobs and paychecks; Take the paychecks away from the members of Congress until they get the job done.  Perhaps even dock them a weeks pay for every day that goes by without progress.  (The 27th amendment be damned!) There. Plain and simple.  Let those lofty folk work without getting paid.  Maybe that will motivate em.   Give them the incentive needed to get their asses moving, pass a budget and get us poor folk back to work.  

I have heard that one or two representatives commented on how the 'government worker' should have foreseen this possible situation and set some money aside.  Really?  I would appreciate said representative explaining to me how a family of 4, earning around $35,000 a year is supposed to be able to set money aside.  After paying for housing, food, gasoline, and other frivolous items such as food, there may be a dollar or two left over.  How remiss of us not to set that dollar aside!   

Just because the people in congress make a butt-load of money (around $174,000 annually) doesn't mean that all government workers earn that much (I wish).  Some representatives have been quoted as saying they couldn't do without their monthly pay; they needed the money.  Oh, boohoo; cry me a river. I just wish I could keep whatever part of my taxes goes to paying these people.

So while me and mine are waiting for Congress to get their heads out of their asses and get us back to work so we can pay our bills ('cause someones got to pay em), I have only one thing to say to that august body.  And that is a very well-deserved, heart-felt and adamant BITE ME!