Rants and Rave: Does Washington Even Care Anymore???

I watched both the State of the Union and the Republican response last night like millions others did, and one resounding question continues to resonate..."Does Washington Even Care About the American People Anymore?"

It's amazing the to hear the colorful artistry of words that paint a picture of politicians rolling up their sleeves and getting knee deep in the trenches to fix our Union. Then followed up by a softened statement that can easily be summed up as "Kind Sir you're a liar", but all said with a smile and fun quips. However, what remains in the balance is a real unemployment number of near 20% and even higher if one factors in the lost count of people who are under-employed. Again, does anyone in Washington care anymore?

Republicans are quick to say that they do not like the $787B stimulus bill that was passed and Democrats are swift to say look America this is for you, but in the end, over $500B still remains unspent. Democrats and Republicans alike are quick to point out that neither supported the TARP plan, but passed it because it was something that was required at that moment. TARP was for $700B of which $350B was immediately accessible, but only roughly $250B was spent. If you listen to the political posturing you would think we have not received a dime back, but the Fed has received over $187B back in the form of repayments and dividends. After all the liquidations and conversions are done, that number will go far higher, meaning the government will turn a huge profit. Again, does Washington Even Care About the American People?

We hear from both sides of the aisle that we need to put Americans back to work, but why is Washington slow on pulling the trigger? Republicans say that government should allow American business to fix itself through fostered support from Washington, but not full intervention. Democrats say that American business will fix itself and Washington will either donate or take a interest in making that happen. Confusing huh? I'm typing this post and it's difficult to understand what side to support. What's amazing is there are thousands of American roads and bridges that are near or over 50 years old and need to be replaced immediately, but very little money is flowing to these projects. The President will be in Tampa, Fl today to announce a new High Speed Rail project from Tampa to Orlando funded with government money. When former Florida Governor Jed Bush was asked by Matt Lauer of the Today Show if this was a good thing for the State of Florida, his response was "I don't know". What a wonderful response huh?

I ask one last time, Does Washington Even Care About the American People anymore? Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Lobbyists, and the White House...please hear the cry of the general American public. You were voted in by the People to work for the People and not to bicker about YOUR interest while your pockets continue to grow because of the People. Forget Partisanship and focus on Peopleship. Otherwise we will be no better than a third world nation where the people suffer and Politicians are wealthy and corrupt.

Thank you

Written by: Ran
ran@ourbloc.com

Live it, Love it, Share it - OURBLOC.com