Okay. To say that this country is a mess right now is certainly an understatement.
Our economy brings back bad memories of the Great Depression.
Millions are unemployed and may never return to their original job if they happen to depend on one of the thousands of businesses that have been forced to close and might not reopen.
Tens of thousands of Americans have died from the Trump Virus, with the number increasing each day by as many as one death every 80 seconds.
And we are about to reopen schools during a pandemic, putting millions of students (and their families), teachers, administrators and support staff at risk.
Gee. You would think that this is a time that would demand common sense — and leadership.
But alas, both are in shorter supply than toilet paper.
It’s really no fun any more writing about Trump and his ineptitude. If nothing else, POTUS defines the Peter Principle. Sad.
But what about Congress?
Certainly we should be able to rely on leadership during this crisis from the men and women who we send to Washington to act in the public interest.
Well, no.
Clearly, people throughout the nation need enhanced unemployment and income protections, health care insurance, limits on being evicted from their houses or apartments and yada, yada, yada. Bernie: Where are you when we need you? I digress.
Well, while the nation burns, members of Congress can’t do much more than fiddle.
Here’s from CNN:
Washington (CNN)Don’t expect a another stimulus check anytime soon.
While there’s bipartisan support for a second round of direct payments, negotiators have walked away from talks without a deal, and most lawmakers have now returned to their home states.Congress let three key coronavirus relief programs created in March — enhanced unemployment benefits, eviction protection and a small business loan program — expire during the past two weeks.
In the meantime, the economy is showing few signs of recovering from the pandemic. Thirty million people are collecting unemployment, consumer spending is down 8% from January and the number of open small businesses has fallen 18%. The unemployment rate remains higher than at any time during the Great Recession.
I’m not sure what relief members of Congress should focus on. But you would think that something needs to be done. And sooner rather than later.
So what has created the logjam?
A simple explanation:
Or another:
I’ll admit that I am becoming fairly discouraged by the inaction that we see every day from our elected representatives in Congress and in the White House.
Come November, it might be a good time for us to vote in a way that advances the agenda of the American people.
And those who are thrown out of office as a result can always find a new gig as a lobbyist or as a talking head on Fox News or MSNBC.
Writing Above The Clouds 