Solving our biggest national
problems is a very simple matter -- on paper. The major obstacle to progress in
America is the annoying tendency of our political leaders to speak in useless
generalities.
Republicans: “We will never
vote to raise taxes.” Hooray!
Democrats: “We will never
vote to cut social security.” Woohoo!
Why are lawmakers so afraid of
having a civil conversation on the specifics?
Today, somebody earning $113
million a year doesn’t pay a penny more in social security taxes than somebody
making $113 thousand a year. Most rational Republicans think that’s
ridiculous. But as long as their “leaders” keep calling a fair fix a “tax
increase,” inequity will prevail.
Conversely, there are now 400
percent more Americans -- age 65 or older -- than there were in 1940. And they
are living an average of five years longer. Most rational Democrats think a
modest increase in the eligibility age for social security is perfectly
reasonable. But as long as their “leaders” continue to characterize common
sense as a “benefit cut,” nothing will ever happen.
It’s not just social security.
The same is true for almost any “difficult” issue you can imagine.
Most Republicans
believe background checks should be required before buying a gun. Democrats
agree. Yet there are no background checks.
Most Democrats
accept the proposition that the path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
should be long and tough. Republicans agree. Yet there is no immigration
reform.
Most Republicans think it’s
absurd that the government can’t shop around for the lowest price when it comes
to prescription drugs for seniors. Democrats agree. Yet the drug lobby still
trumps the taxpayers.
Both conservatives and
liberals believe that our allies should be shouldering a larger share of the
cost of their own national defense. Yet overseas military spending is still off
the charts.
Ditto taxes. I can’t find
anybody who actually believes that a hospital worker in America should pay a
higher effective tax rate than a hedge fund manager. Can you?
If politicians actually got
down to the specifics of almost any major public policy issue, party labels and
political ideologies would magically give way to good old fashion common sense.
Unfortunately, in Congress these days, common sense is not so common.
There are a million reasons
for this -- chief of which is a rightfully ticked off public that hasn’t seen
any progress in their paychecks for more than three decades. And the fact that
JP Morgan Chase just agreed to pay a record $13 billion fine for ripping the
heart and soul out of everybody’s most important asset -- their home -- doesn’t
even begin to heal that wound.
Sure, we’re angry. And yes,
there are many other factors: gerrymandering, Citizens United, talk radio, 24/7
cable news networks -- pick your poison. Legislators, lobbyists, and luminaries
of the chatter class all profit handsomely from a polarizing and ultimately
paralyzing focus on the general at the expense of the specific.
Just look at the recent government
shutdown. Standard & Poor’s pegged the cost to the country during a fragile
recovery at $24 billion which translates into a
half point in lost GDP this quarter. Yet Ted Cruz’s campaign coffers are
millions of dollars richer.
The New York Times’ editorial
page assessed the damage to American economic growth since 2010 as: “over $300
billion in lost output and roughly 2 million fewer jobs than would otherwise
have been the case.”
Never raise taxes? Never cut
spending?
The time has come for us to
insist that when it comes to governing, leaders on both sides should never say
never again. As long as reckless political behavior is rewarded with
re-election, politicians will always vote to protect their own jobs -- even if
it costs you yours.
