By the time you read this, we all could be careening off the fiscal cliff, which would be a shame. The inability of President Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the speaker of the House of Representatives, to get together on a smart resolution (unless it happened after we went off to an early press run as a result of the holiday) is pathetic. While there had been some give and take from both sides, we view the Republican Party as the more dominant culprit here. A majority in the House guarantees absolutely nothing for the GOP and its Tea Party members. We view their actions as divisive and obstructionist. Our view: This hasn’t been about true negotiating – which should have been the case all along – but more about digging in heels and casting blame. It’s really quite sad that the two sides couldn’t come up with a solution that makes sense. In the end, the real and appropriate blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the American voters, for they are the ones who put these intractable, so-called leaders in the position to drive all of us over the edge. When will the voting public learn?
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As your tax dollars are at stake every time a buying decision is made by the many boards and councils that help to govern our municipalities, how often do you wince at choices that are made? Are your thoughts heard? We believe they should be, and so we urge you to gain knowledge of those panels and the people that serve on them. Hold feet to the fire where necessary and make sure every expense is an indispensible outlay. If you believe something is untoward, please let us know at [email protected], and we will do our best to get an answer for you and your fellow taxpayers.