Disaster relief has always been bipartisan because only the federal government is strong enough to address large scale emergencies. Not anymore; disaster relief has become something of a political football. House and Senate Republicans have attempted to eliminate FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) numerous times over the last two years, while Democrats have fought to preserve it.
Today, however, there are no Republicans or Democrats on the East Coast. There are only survivors. When lives are at stake, people work together, regardless of political affiliation.
Republican Governor Chris Christie's comments today regarding President Obama's efforts (taken from the New York Times, 10/30/12): "Wonderful,” “excellent” and “outstanding” were among the adjectives Mr. Christie chose. And, while national Republicans complained about Christie's remarks, the governor said, "I have a job to do in New Jersey that is much bigger than presidential politics."
President Obama's comments today: "America is with you. If they are getting no for an answer somewhere in the federal government, they can call me personally at the White House,” adding: “Get resources where they are needed as fast as possible, as hard as possible, and for the duration." He offered praise for Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City and Governor Christie of New Jersey for "the extraordinary work they have done."
This is the way we have always handled emergencies - together, as one. And, this is the way we should handle our fiscal crisis, too - as one.
However, Mitt Romney's approach sounds more like a budget manager than a statesman. Here's what Romney told the Weekly Standard in an interview published April 2nd, 2012: "...I anticipate that there will be departments and agencies that will either be eliminated or combined with other agencies. So will there be some that get eliminated...? The answer is yes, but I’m not going to give you a list right now." That should give you a clue about the real Mitt Romney:
"Mitt Romney was not a businessman; he was a master financial speculator who bought, sold, flipped, and stripped businesses. He did not build enterprises the old-fashioned way—out of inspiration, perspiration, and a long slog in the free market... Instead, he spent his 15 years raising debt in prodigious amounts on Wall Street so that Bain could purchase the pots and pans and castoffs of corporate America, leverage them to the hilt...and then deliver them back to Wall Street for resale." David Stockman - October 15, 2012, The Daily Beast
The question should not be what departments and agencies will be eliminated. Mitt Romney does not make our country stronger by eliminating FEMA, unemployment benefits, food stamps, pushing Medicare seniors into private insurance, privatizing Social Security and cutting Medicaid and education - while at the same time eliminating taxes on capital gains, interest and dividends.
The question should be this: How do we keep EVERYTHING and still keep our country strong. Everything is important and everyone is important. The answer is everyone contributes a little more and everyone sacrifices a little more. Whether it's a corporation or a person (is there a difference these days?), let's make it patriotic to support our society - all of it. We don't balance the budget on the backs of any one group - we don't cut the support out from under seniors and the poor. And, we don't prohibit people from making a fortune, either. We simply ask everyone to sacrifice a little more, while asking everyone to accept a little less.
Whatever the challenges are, whether it be a national emergency, or whether it is solving government deficits, we do it together, each person making the contribution they are able, while sacrificing what they can, moving toward a better future as one people, as one nation. Let's take our motto seriously - E pluibus unum. Out of many, one.
And, that is a view from Missouri.
No comments:
Post a Comment