Congress Inspire Us Instead of Falling Over The Cliff

Last Updated on September 26, 2015 by Alex Brown-Hinds

This past summer many Americans and people around the world watched in amazement as Nikolas “Nik” Wallenda fulfilled a life long dream by walking across Niagara Falls on a thin cable wire. We watched in excitement and expectation of what if he falls while hoping and praying that he would make it and spare us the fear that comes with him not succeeding.

How was he going to navigate the heavy water mist that comes up from all that water falling over the cliff? How will he maintain his focus and not be distracted from people talking into his ear of his progress? I’ve been and seen Niagara Falls and it is beautiful and frightening at the same time. Well Nik’s dream came true and he did make it and when asked by Canadian authorities at the end of the walk, “why did you do it?” He responded, “To inspire people around the world.”

Why doesn’t congress inspire us and people around the world by agreeing to carry out the dreams of so many of us by reaching a deal before Christmas with President Obama and avoid sending us over a financial cliff.

First we have less than two percent of the population that would see their taxes go up and over sixty percent of the population hoping and praying for that to happen. Over fifty percent of us voted for the President in the election because he said that is what he would do and we want him to do it. So why not pass that tax hike on the rich, those making over $250,000 a year. So congress inspire us and make a deal.

Next we have the federal payroll tax that will go up if a deal is not reached. This tax will impact every employee in the country and will remove money out of the economy and will further bog down our slow recovery. Fifty seven percent of the population wants this tax extended, plus so many low hourly wage earners will feel it the worst and they have been hit the hardest during this recession. The Inland Empire communities cannot afford to have this payroll tax increase. With our double-digit unemployment in the area we need the few employees that are working to have money to spend. It’s these workers that pay local sales tax that goes into the cities general fund budgets to provide vital services to their citizens. Our cities are teetering on bankruptcy while some have already filed for financial protection under the courts. So congress inspire us and make a deal.

Now part of the hang up is what to cut from the budget of the federal government. They talk about social security and Medicare being placed on the table to be chopped up like butcher’s meat. When I was working during my employment years I paid into each system through payroll tax so it is not the government giving us seniors a darn thing, we earned it the old fashion way. We worked for it. When I became eligible for retirement, I was hoping it would not be tinkered with by a bunch of politicians who can afford their own retirement. So congress inspire us and make a deal.

For me, this is not an issue you toss around in Washington like a football making senior citizens upset. This only adds to our other anxieties and uncertainties while in our golden years. Over the past several years many seniors have had to forego food in order to pay for medicine to keep them alive when congress put the drug companies in charge of cost control. Some lost their retirement income (401K) by congress allowing Wall Street to take risky investments without over sight. When the housing value took a nosedive, like a tightrope walker falling off the wire, seniors lost money and some lost their dream home. Many are still recovering from congress not doing their job to govern and protect its citizens. Now you want to drive us off another cliff. Inspire us by raising the taxes of those fortunate enough to earn over $250,000 a year, extend the payroll tax, extend the unemployment benefits many of us paid into but never used thank God but our neighbors need.

Why don’t you representatives of the people take off your political party hats and put on your citizenship uniform and divert all the other chatter out of your head and do the right thing and inspire us. You and the rich have a safety net under you but 98% of the population does not. Inspire us by acting as responsible citizens that represent us.