Matt Wuerker for October 29, 2013

The military is warning the next sequestration cuts will leave them with with too few units ready to respond to military threats with any efficiency. It is too bad the United States is being served by two parties who put their own interests before that of their nation and the citizens they were elected to serve. The 24 Billion lost to the shutdown will just make the sequestration cuts worse. Does anyone have any ideas on how we can get people who could actually work together to run for office? I would love to see moderates of both parties succeed, but under the current DNC and RNC leadership, it seems unlikely.Respectfully,C.

Daniel 2:44

Anyone who claims that the deficit is their biggest concern, but takes revenue increases off the table, has proved that the deficit is not their greatest concern. What we SHOULD be worried about is that we are letting our country fall completely apart, in science, education, health, roads, and bridges, and doing nothing about climate change, the greatest threat we face. No amount of tax cuts for the rich will save us in a world where we choose to make ourselves a third-world country and others choose to educate their citizens and modernize.

The original theory behind the sequestration was that it was so completely idiotic, with mechanical cuts across the board instead of intelligent targeted cuts, that Congress would be forced to revisit the whole thing and begin to do some means-testing that would lead to intelligent cuts. (As conservative pundit David Brooks, among others, reminds us.) It turns out that nothing in the world is TOO completely idiotic for Congress!

Simple concept. When faced with limited funds and a long list of needs, one needs to buy smart. Many posters have shown places where money is wasted. Others have posted about money that should be invested to save money later. Almost all ideas are right on the money.

But when people only care about their lobbyist’s checks, and are spending someone else’s money, the idea of buying smart goes out the window.

Time for a change. Throw the bums out. Even if we get new bums, they can’t be any worse.

and The Trusted Mechanic - Genome and the Mechanic, you both make excellent points. The waste revealed by the Mechanic’s son alone show the need for more inspection, oversight, and punitive action for waste and fraud. Reports have stated 50% of senators and 42% of Congressmen go to work as lobbyists, consultants, or some other position after leaving gov’t office with their opulent pension/compensation packages. What is less often mentioned is the number of ranking officers who do the exact same thing. A general or colonel considering retirement has little cause to bring attention to the waste and abuse profiting suppliers as well as private contractors working alongside them in the field. The company profiting today may be their employer in a month or year.There have been many cases of the legislator who wrote a loophole into a bill making it possible for waste to occur, or that last minute earmark that never saw committee granting an unneeded contract, or worse, an anonymous amendment that cost the taxpayers millions or more. There have been many cases of senior officers turning a blind eye to waste or practices that not only cost taxpayers money, but as in the case of contractors who served pork products in Muslim nations, cost us the good will of those whose hearts and minds we were trying to reach. Would it have been so hard to use beef or turkey bacon, and corned beef, and turkey ham in such places? Or was the good graces of a congressman who needed to sell actual pork for his district more important than not offending our hosts? Do our military and or embassies serve pork in Israel, or make those Israelis working for our contractors cook and serve it?We are making tanks the Army doesn’t want, and planes the Air Force doesn’t need. We are failing to provide benefits to our veterans in a timely fashion and the delays are a waste of man power and the time of the veterans who have other things to think about, like finding jobs and surviving civilian life under a dysfunctional gov’t in DC as well as their home states. There have been reports of officers who have spoken on the topics GP, TTM, Player, and others have raised, but like most whistleblowers, they are more likely to see their careers stalled and prospects dimmed than be rewarded for trying to serve their nation with honor, ethics, and moral direction.It is incumbent upon us, the voter, to write to our legislators and tell them that these thefts of tax payer dollars and abuse of the common soldier and junior officers must end. I have. Please consider doing the same.Thank you GP and Mechanic for your thoughtful replies. And Mechanic, please convey my appreciation to your son. He is in the same part of the world as my nephew. I’m pleased to report my daughter is still in the states and since she’s expecting my second grandchild, not likely to be deployed.Respectfully,C.

In me we trust?

You write well ypoons. And in less than 7666 words. ;)Thank you for adding to the debate with thought and eloquence.Sincerely,C.

Debt Free said, about 12 hours ago“Oh, the blame game. Keeps everyone’s mind off of Obama’s failures.”

http://www.gocomics.com/bloomcounty#.UnEcs66okxc

Godless atheists; is that like shoeless bare foots, or hatless bare heads?