Greg Awtry

It’s been nine months since the attack on the Benghazi consulate where our ambassador and three other Americans were brutally murdered and our country didn’t lift a finger to save them.
It has been nine months of trying to get answers, yet we have a White House, State Department and the CIA who refuse to give answers to Congress. How are we going to get answers from the government when the government won’t even answer questions from the government?

Now we find out the IRS has been making life difficult for people and organizations who don’t share their political views. Conservative groups whose names included language like “Tea Party“ and “Patriot” were targeted for extra scrutiny, and even though the government admits guilt, there has yet to be a single individual who has the courage to come clean and tell the American people what their government is doing and why.

Then there is Eric Holder’s Justice Department which secretly snooped on Associated Press and Fox News reporters’ phone records. Holder went so far as to personally sign off on that one, which included looking into the reporters’ parents’ phone records as well. Meanwhile Holder has told Congress he would never do such a thing, but his fingerprints and signature are all over the case.
These three scandals are just the surface skim of a government that has grown too large to manage. There can be only two answers, and both should serve as major red flags that we have serious problems, that indicate our nation is under siege.

One answer is that Obama and top government officials have been kept in the dark as bureaucratic underlings push forward an agenda oblivious to the founding principles on which our nation was built. Or, that President Obama and/or other high-ranking leaders are using government agencies as a tool to change the country into one that shifts the power even more to the federal government.

Again, these latest scandals are just symptoms. Congress plays the part of an outraged body claiming they will get to the bottom of all this, but every day they go to work they contribute to the decline of the nation by overspending to the point of no return, jeopardizing our financial future and pouring insurmountable debt onto our children and grandchildren. Their lack of oversight (until a scandal breaks) is unacceptable.

We have agencies sending unemployment checks to prisoners, social security checks to dead people, nearly 50 million people on food stamps, and now with Obamacare, for the first time in American history the government will force people to buy a product (health insurance) or they will sic the IRS on us and fine us thousands of dollars.

We have nearly 600,000 veterans on a waiting list for benefits because the department of defense can’t communicate effectively with the veterans’ services departments and the caseloads have grown too large to handle, yet we intend to hire an additional 16,000 new IRS employees to enforce Obamacare!

We have sequestration cuts that ask federal employees to take a few days of furlough to help reduce our annual deficits, and now we find out many of those who take a week’s furlough are filing for unemployment payments, that will ultimately be paid for by the government! How can this make any sense?

While our country is going broke we still send billions of taxpayers’ dollars to other countries, send military planes to unfriendly nations, and pass trade agreements that increase trade deficits sending the wealth of the U.S.A. overseas!

In spite of a growing dysfunctional government, thank goodness for the American people. Although our patience with a broken government is growing dangerously thin, we still get up and go to work, pay our taxes, raise our families, donate money and time to charities, volunteer to defend our nation at all costs, and try our best to hold the fabric of the nation together while our federal officials choose to live in a world of denial and partisan politics.

But there is hope. The Tea Party has had it right all along, and Patriots, struggling as they watch a nation in decline, are becoming more outspoken. (Tea Party and Patriots, didn’t we see this mentioned above? Oh yes, they are the one’s being targeted by the IRS!)

These groups want a government that can live within their means. They want a government that returns to the fundamental responsibilities clearly defined in the Constitution. They want national security in the form of a strong defense, an immigration policy that makes sense, and border security. They want the taxpayers’ money to be spent wisely and for the nation to balance its checkbook.

They want to pass on a country that has more promise than the one that was left to them. They want a government that works for the people, not party. They want honesty, not deception. They want accountability, not excuses.

They want to voice their opinion without fear of being targeted by a government which may disagree and they deserve a free a press that will report without bias or fear of federal overreach.
They actually believe in “of the people, by the people and for the people.” Imagine that!

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A loyal York News-Times reader dropped off an interesting article the other day. It was a “report” or newsletter from a Nebraska congressman. He was writing about what a mess it is in Washington and how Congress can’t get along,

He said, “Nebraskans are eager for change, believing that changes in many policies and programs are long overdue.”

On the back of the congressman’s newsletter were poll results taken from 25,000 people who took the time to voice their opinion.

Some of the questions and answers are:

Would you favor eliminating Saturday mail delivery if it would save tax dollars? Fifty-five percent said yes.

Are you willing to accept substantial cuts in federal spending if the cuts seem to be equitably shared by all segments of society? A whopping 86 percent said yes.

Do you favor an increase in the share of the federal budget devoted to defense related items? Sixty-two percent said yes.

Would you favor mandatory registration of all privately owned handguns in the United States? Only 49 percent said yes.

In view of the continued rise in hospital care, would you support mandatory cost controls imposed by the federal government on hospitals? Fifty-three percent said yes.

Do you favor gradually raising the eligibility age for full Social Security retirement benefits? Only 31 percent said yes.

There were other stories the congressman covered in his newsletter. He spoke about the federal budget process as being the most controversial and confusing exercises in government. He writes about how we need to cut spending, but Washington is engaged in a monumental “tug of war” on budget issues.

He also discusses how we need complete and thorough tax reform, saying the nation’s economic problems can be traced to the ever-increasing tax burden on all its citizens.

So here’s my question. Are you the one in 10 who thinks Congress is doing a good job, because their job approval rating is near only 10 percent? As the congressman points out, we the people are fed up with the inability of Washington to govern, to solve the nation’s problems, and to set a course for a positive and prosperous future.

The fact is most of our problems today are the fault of Washington’s failures. Congress is very good at pointing out the problems. It is very bad at solving them.

Do you need proof? Well here’s some proof for you.

The congressman writing this newsletter was Representative Doug Bereuter. It is a four-page newsletter he sent to Nebraskans in the summer of 1981. That was 32 years ago folks. Rep Bereuter was complaining about the very same problems that exist today because all they did for the past three decades was to talk about the problems and make promises to fix them.

Bereuter was complaining about the large federal budget of $695 billion (in 1981) that it would take to run the country. Today we spend that amount in only 69 days as our federal budget is now near $4 trillion dollars a year.

And with all that extra money taken from our pockets and sent to theirs in Washington, you would think they could do something with all those dollars that would garner the respect of more than one in 10 Americans.

Can you believe that in 1981 Congress was trying to fix Social Security, cope with the post office’s financial problems, legislate gun registration, reduce federal spending, properly fund the military and struggle to balance the federal budget?

This 31-year-old newsletter could have been written yesterday, as all those issues still exist today, proving Congress is not only inept, but incapable. The time has come to stop talking and start fixing, and it must begin with the voters who need to stop listening to empty promises and start demanding that we don’t face another 32 years like the past 32.

If the current crop of Nebraska representation, Johanns, Fischer, Smith, Terry and Fortenberry can’t right the wrongs, then we need to fire them and hire someone else who can. Shame on them. Shame on us.

With all due respect to Rep. Doug Bereuter, it is obvious his newsletter written in the summer of 1981 vividly points out that Congress’ biggest problem is… Congress!

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On Jan. 1 this year all working folks found out when they received their first paystubs of 2013, that the government had cut your take home pay by 2 percent.

They restored your contributions to Social Security and Medicare back to where they were a couple years ago, so the bottom line was your paycheck was 2 percent smaller.

Did President Obama travel all around the country saying that because Washington was cutting your paycheck by 2 percent the world as we know it was going to change? No, instead he just assumed Americans would do what we always do, tighten up our belt another notch and go back to work.

Enter the “Sequester” cuts. President Obama has spent the past few weeks flying around in his $200,000 an hour jet, telling crowds across America how devastating these Sequester cuts are going to be for our federal government. He doesn’t mention that it is only about 2 percent of federal spending.

Seems it was fine in January when Washington made us do with 2 percent cuts on our paychecks. Seems now, it is a national crisis two months later when the government is asked to cut its spending by 2 percent. Disgusting enough to make you sick, right?

Did Obama, in any of those stops where he was “crying wolf” say that Washington, even with the 2 percent cuts, is still going to spend more in 2013 than it did in 2012? No, he wouldn’t want you to know that.

What Obama should have done, instead of flying around, was to sit down at the Oval Office desk and write a few letters. We the American people could help him. Here are my suggestions:

His letter/s should say:

Dear (Other Country’s Leaders),
We regret to inform you that effective immediately we will no longer be sending you any more foreign aid until we balance our budget and pay off our debt.
You are aware the U.S. Congress has overspent our income to the tune of $16 trillion, and it seems foolish for us to give you more of our hard working Americans’ money along with the 40 cents we must borrow for every dollar we give you.
Feel free to contact us after our country is debt free and we’ll see if the American people will be willing to loan (not give) you some of their money at that time.
Sincerely, President Obama

Dear American People,
We regret to inform you that effective in 90 days the United States government will no longer be offering welfare to able bodied Americans since we as a nation can no longer afford to take care of those who are able to take care of themselves.
The U.S. Congress has put us $16 trillion in debt and it is time everyone who is able goes to work and helps us out of the mess they made.
You will be asked to show up at a local labor pool, sponsored by your town, city, county or state. At the end of your first month’s work, you will be handed your unemployment check.
Contrary to what the media reports, there are millions of jobs out there and we are counting on you to work as hard as the great Americans who built this marvelous nation for all of us.
Sincerely, President Obama

Dear United States Military,
Over the centuries you have been there for us. We have tried to give you everything you need to protect our nation. And, as you know the world has changed since WWII and we can no longer afford to have troops deployed all across the world, especially since the most serious threat the nation faces today is a financial one as the U.S. Congress has borrowed $16 trillion to keep us afloat.
So effective immediately we will no longer be borrowing money from foreign countries to fund our military. Instead we will be bringing our troops home to defend our nation instead of policing the world.
Rest assured, we will continue to fund the military for the purpose of defense, but will no longer be in the business of nation building.
Your Commander in Chief, President Obama

Dear Congress,
Half of you in the House and Senate can blame me for the $16 trillion debt. The other half can blame George Bush, but the fact is you appropriate the money and you make the tax laws, so before you whine and moan any longer, first take a long look in the mirror. There you will see the person/s responsible for our nation’s fiscal crisis.
You have given the American people a government they can no longer afford and it is high time you fixed the problem. Yes, it will take an increase in taxes. Effective immediately, the Democrats will be in charge of this. It will also take drastic spending cuts. The Republicans will be in charge of this.
This should be a labor of love for each party and provide you the opportunity to correct your previous wrongs and leave a country in pristine financial condition for future generations of Americans who hopefully will learn from your mistakes.
Awaiting your legislation, President Obama

Okay, I know the letters I wrote for the President seem far-fetched, but it is true we can no longer afford the government we have now.

We all have to either pony up and/or expect a lot less from the federal government. And it is true that Congress is solely responsible for this and until they put Americans and the United States above their political careers and political parties, nothing of any consequence will happen in Washington.

It is time they stop pointing fingers and it is time we begin to point fingers, and I am pointing mine squarely at the Halls of Congress.
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President Obama and the U.S. Congress are very good at raising taxes and spending money. They are very bad at reducing spending and lowering taxes.

When it comes to the way Congress manages the country’s fiscal affairs I used to think they were dumb as a box of rocks. I no longer think that. I now think they are cowards.

We spend $10 billion a day and have to borrow $4 billion a day, and there is no end in sight for this nation-wrecking insanity. It doesn’t take a congressman/woman more than a couple seconds to know this is not sustainable if we are to survive as a sovereign nation. They know it; we know it and I think they know we know it.

The problem is we spend too much and even though they know how to fix it, they are afraid to because it will most likely cost them their jobs.

As I said, they aren’t dumb, they are cowards, afraid to suggest the cuts that are necessary and then have to come home and tell everyone Grandma’s social security income is going down.

Or, how will they explain that unemployment payments are going to be cut to six months instead of two years? Or, how are they going to explain that the military’s budget is going to be cut because we can no longer afford to be deployed all over the world?

Or, how are they going to tell the folks on welfare we can no longer support those capable of supporting themselves? Or, how can they say we can no longer afford any more grants or earmarks?

How can they tell people we have a government we can no longer afford and practically every single program and service needs to be drastically reduced, knowing this will upset practically everyone?

Well, the answer is, they can’t, because they love their jobs more than they do our country. There is no other way to explain it.

We can’t point the finger only at Democrats or only at Republicans. Neither party wants to lead when it comes to cutting spending. They have tried their best to pawn this off on someone else.

First they handed it off to the Bowles and Simpson Debt Commission. They hoped Bowles and Simpson would do the “dirty work” and they did; only President Obama and Congress rejected the suggested cuts. (Translation: They are cowards.)

Next, they invented the “Super Committee” and asked them to do the dirty work. After months of meetings, they couldn’t agree either, and as a result of their failure, they cornered themselves in with a tactic they called the “Sequester.”

This would make automatic cuts, thus avoiding any individual politician being forced to vote for any individual spending reductions. Now they are all trying to change their very own sequester rules to avoid making cuts. (Translation: They are cowards.)

With my apologies to Kenny Rogers’ and his song, “Cowards of the County,” his lyrics point out, “Now it won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek. I hope you’re old enough to understand. Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.”

If you remember that song, Tommy stayed clear of fights, but finally, when what meant most to him was in danger, he realized, “Papa, I sure hope you understand, sometimes you gotta fight to be a man.”

So, we say to the President and the United States Congress, “That time has come!” The things We The People love the most, our country, our American Dream, our children and grandchildren are in danger.

We elected you to take our fight to Washington and to put our nation back on solid financial footing so our country, our dreams and our children can enjoy the great American blessings our parents’ responsibly left for us. And to be quite honest with you, we don’t give a damn whether you are re-elected or not. Only you care about that. We care about our country!

Our parents and grandparents were not cowards. They broke their backs building this nation. They died for this nation. The least you can do is lead the fight to restore the promise they left for you.

Your mission is difficult, we know that. We aren’t dumb either. You would have to cut over a trillion a year, or raise taxes over a trillion a year, or some combination of the two to balance our budget. What’s your plan? We don’t know, do we? Are you afraid if you tell us what you are going to cut, we won’t vote for you?

Its time for you to lead, and risk your political future for the good of the country. Stop waiting for others to tell us what needs to be cut, and come out with a list of cuts and/or revenue increases that will stop us from going into debt so far that it can never be repaid … if we haven’t gone there already.

You know, when somebody loves something as much as we love our country, it would be nice to hear you tell us exactly what you would cut, then turn to us and say, “I sure hope you understand, sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man.”

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