. Ooh-yay-yay-yay-yeah...
We see these people bumping their gums about repeal when the answer is quite simple. Instead of repeal, defund. Congress, if they simply read our founding document, the one that controls all other legislation, or at least is supposed to, is charged with control of this nation's purse strings.
Cut off the money.
It's easy to vote for continuing resolutions. It isn't much more difficult to go through and fund only those programs that aren't redundant, duplicitous, wasteful, and flat out bastardizations of our Constitution. But to do so requires something more than swagger and prattle, something more than causing a convenience store clerk to lose a day's pay so some politician can make himself look good, or dragging a prescription pad behind to attract a date.
The rulers of ancient Rome, when their society was falling apart, brought in circuses and gladiator games, feasts, and public welfare to keep the populace entertained, their minds occupied with something other than the state of their State. They brought in the clowns. One must wonder if that isn't exactly what's happening here in our nation, but as Mr. Sondheim wrote in the last verse of his song:
Isn't it rich?
Isn't it queer?
Losing my timing this late
In my career?
And where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don't bother - they're here.
Yes, the clowns are here. But the question to ask ourselves is this; are they our government or are they us for allowing it? Why do we keep sending the same old people, or the same type of people, who generally haven't accomplished much in the capitalistic sense of accomplishment, to run our government?
And those who will be smiling the least will be those who have the most to lose, due to no fault of their own, with no control of the outcome... our children and grandchildren.
Maybe some of Scottie Mayfield's Turtletracks will improve this pithy attitude while the neighbor and I fill in our road that got washed out yesterday, on our own without government assistance, while we discuss ticks and chiggers and mowing hay and snakes.
Royce Burrage Jr.
* * *
I agree with Royce in his reference to the Clowns.
It just amazes me that our "representative" can have cute little shared pictures with scare-tactic phrases accompanying them on his Facebook page, one even touting 20,000 jobs for "the good of America" pipeline that should be built.
But, like Waldo, where in the world is our "representative" when it comes to decent wage paying jobs for our area? I've not heard one word from him in a very long time on any subject, especially since he was noticeably absent/AWOL/hiding from the Chickamauga Lock event recently. That project would put a lot of local and area folks to work.
Just what has he been doing lately?
Seems the time is ripe for someone who really wants to work for us to step up and decide to lead. You can almost set your clock to when you will be seeing the first recycled campaign rhetoric ad from our missing "representative."
Rick Tucker
Hixson
* * *
Royce, what did you expect from a bunch of clowns, er, Republicans?
I was just reading an article from the new head honcho at Erlanger Hospital when he said that he and his team had staunched the flow of dollars shelled out in uncompensated care this last month. He said that 10 months into the present fiscal year Erlanger had paid out more than $62.4 million in uncompensated care. He said that they had paid out $5.7 million in April alone. This was paid out for people who do not have insurance.
Now enlighten me about how Obamacare as the Republicans call it is so bad? If everyone in the USA had health insurance, do you think that Erlanger would be paying out the big bucks as they do now, they would be on Easy Street. Is all this money paid out to treat Democrats only? I think not. All the Republicans want to do is try again to shoot down Obamacare again, knowing full well they are against their own people who elected them to office.
I guess "Chuck" and the "Doc" don't have much to do while in office, we might as well pay them to stay home because they have nothing else to do except complain about what Obama did yesterday or today or tomorrow and they have the best insurance coverage money can buy, paid for by the taxpayers in the USA.
Gary Dixon
* * *
That you Mr. Dixon for taking a good non partisan issue and attempting to turn it into Obama praise. I will try to get this much needed discussion back on course because I believe Mr. Burrage and Mr. Tucker were prodding us to search within and ask ourselves some important questions that would pertain to both sides of the isle.
Such as:
Do we always go vote and if so, do we vote just for the party or for the incumbent?
Do we vote for our "friend" or someone we know, or do we vote for the most qualified?
Do we take the time to find out what a person actually believes or do we only listen to what they tell us while campaigning?
Do we really take the time to find out what our candidate has accomplished or just settle for their rhetoric?
Do we search for what and who they have supported in the past?
Do we check out their past work experience or just believe what they tell us?
We have a Congress that is all about taking care of themselves while they foist new laws and regulations on "we the people." No one in the private sector has a benefit package like what they have voted for themselves with our tax dollars. While you have the right to defend Obamacare some in your own party are calling it a "train wreck" waiting to happen and the very ones putting it on our backs don't want it for themselves, their family or their staff.
To sum this up here is the real question: When will we stop electing self-serving clowns and elect a real citizen servant? Remember that Monday is Memorial Day and if you want to meet a real hero, look no further than those who have and do serve in our military.
J. Pat Williams