Who Gets To Cut The Pie?

I have been watching the partisan dickering and whining that has surrounded the sequestration and the budget deficit. It has been anything but uplifting and has brought out the very worst in people.

In an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Speaker Boehner said, "Most Americans are just hearing about this Washington creation for the first time: the sequester," Boehner writes. "What they might not realize from Obama's statements is that it is a product of the president's own failed leadership."

For his part, President Obama said this: "Republicans in Congress face a simple choice. Are they willing to compromise to protect vital investments in education and health care and national security and all the jobs that depend on them? Or would they rather put hundreds of thousands of jobs and our entire economy at risk just to protect a few special interest tax loopholes that benefit only the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations?"

What we have in front of us should be a television game show but it is not: The Blame Game.  In game shows there are always winners and always losers. In this game the biggest losers are the American People who are on the sidelines wondering whether and how we can shed the weight of political grandstanding on the bloated deficit largely created by a GOP Congress and President. 

How SHOULD we be approaching the looming budget cuts? The answer is probably not as simple or cut and dry as either the President or Speaker Boehner would have us believe. Yes, spending has to be cut but how, where and how much? Would it be fairest to cut the projected spending by and equal percentage to each sector's share of the budget? For instance, Defense is projected to have a 14% share of Federal spending. They then would be required to trim 14% of their budget. I realize this is simplistic and probably untenable but a concerted effort by the GOP and the President to think "outside the box" is required at this juncture. It is possible to cut "fat" in each sector's share of spending, to hunt down and get rid of inefficient use of funds. No more $600 toilet seats. The reality is that won't be enough and cutting will need to include "meat" as well as "fat."  That also will not be enough and an increase in revenue will re required. How do we cut and how do we raise revenue?

First of all, we need to agree on the problem. It is actually not required that the source of the problem be identified, just define the problem itself. Should we rely on EITHER Congress or the President to define the problem and come up with the solution? Maybe we need a mediator or why not bring in a bi-partisan (or non-partisan) panel of citizens? To bring in experts from outside the Beltway would relieve both sides from taking the "fall" for the situation and could actually succeed in coming up with good solutions. Maybe if the American People are actually included in the discussion and decision making we could get beyond political posturing. It would be the political equivalent of mom or dad stepping between two squabbling siblings. Maybe it is time for the People to shout, "Enough!"