Grace 11/26/12

                                                                                                                            R.R. Clark

Bless us Lord with restful sleep that heals us till we wake,

Bless us Lord with industry, a better world to make.

Bless us Lord with wit and charm, the doubtful mind to turn,

Bless our curiosity, for wisdom let us yearn.

Bless us with prosperity, with well-earned fruitful gain,

Bless our acts of charity, the needful to sustain.

Grant to us discretion, Lord, to which our deeds consigned,

We judge not selves or others, but act with thoughtful mind.

Grant to all, their lives to live according to their lights, and

Bless O Lord our loved one’s lives and all their days and nights.

Bless wayfaring strangers Lord and absent friends this day

See them safely to our hearts and bid them there to stay.

Bless today this gathering which gives our spirits lift,

And bless this food before us Lord, thy bounty’s gracious gift.

Amen

No Big Surprise

           Congressional leaders profess cooperation with the President, but there is no evidence of their sincerity. The evidence indicates mere posturing. You don’t start a cooperative relationship (and after six years, it hasn’t yet started) by issuing ultimatums to the President. Crap like, ‘If you do anything about carbon emissions,’ or ‘do anything to help immigrants, you are poisoning the well of good will,’ (that we have never extended and now allegedly offer) is so transparently nasty that it will be an achievement for reasonable people to accept.

           Congress, this self-serving, obstructive, juggernaut of special interest has just had its license renewed by a mid-term election comprising a small percentage of America’s eligible voters. By no means does it have a mandate to crank up the corporate steam roller. Anyone who interprets the election result as a passport to ignore the persistent issues of fairness, so far abandoned by congress, is making a mistake. The election merely validated the tactics used by campaigners and state governments. In short, voters failed to hit ‘refresh’ and now we’re back on a familiar and well-worn path.

           Our President is far from perfect, but our congress has no room to talk—it is, and has been, profoundly dysfunctional. Around here, we think somebody has to do something to move the needle for ordinary Americans, and for our planet. It’s clear that congress isn’t going to be that somebody. They’ll be the ones, once again, complaining that their failures are the President’s fault. “Surprise!” said nobody.

Cheating On Taxes

           The principle from which all taxes derive justification is that they should equally burden people according to their ability to pay. Thus, income taxes are graduated, increasing as income (and ability to pay) goes up. Reasonable sales taxes are not levied on things everyone, rich or poor, must have to survive. And property tax is based on the value of property being taxed. See a pattern here?

           It’s popular these days to claim that graduated income taxes are unfair—that there ought to be a flat income tax rate so everyone is treated the same. In America, sadly, everyone is not treated the same. Lobbyists, often former Congresspersons, are bankrolled by people and organizations of great wealth to “get things into the law” that benefit them. Like minor-sounding exemptions and exclusions that reduce their tax burden or provide other government benefits. Inch by inch, and mile by mile, equal treatment is compromised. That is why the flat income tax idea is a ruse—a geek trick—that lulls unsuspecting voters with specious promises of fairness.

           Around here, the flat tax idea falls flat. It’s something people who hire lobbyists like. There are, however, many important things that fair play requires Congress to get into our tax laws. How about taxing all income the same, whether it was made from work or capital? Maybe closing access to offshore tax havens? Or raising the number of corporations who pay income taxes from 25% to 80%? Why not just stop the cheating?

Bainwarble Clubs It Up

           Now that Siobhan has returned home, Bainwarble has taken to clubbing on his days off. He joined the Dull Men’s Club. Each member has to have an invigorating hobby. Bainwarble chose collecting photographs of “Do Not Enter” signs. The Club meets daily, so he has a horrible attendance record. On one absent day, he was named President of the stateside Roundabout Appreciation Society, but he doesn’t mind. It complements his photo collecting activity nicely.

His only complaint was that he therefore had to buy a car. He of course chose the smallest one he could find, a stunning if somewhat tired yellow Yugo. He had to cut a hole in the roof (for headroom) which he covered with a flaming red stock pot, weatherstripped and screwed neatly into place. Now, whenever he drives around it looks like his head is on fire.

“I can’t imagine how anybody thinks this whole thing qualifies as dull,” I told my wife, Ducky Bumps. “He’ll be on Dancing with the Stars next!”

           Ducky Bumps’ only comment was, “I would have thought pictures of jet engine exhaust might be more exciting!”

          We learned of his first moving violation ticket, issued for entering a roundabout in the wrong direction. He confided that he had talked his way out of several others by showing his British motoring license. He also told us it was the only way to get really good pictures of those “Do Not Enter” signs.

          “The things we do for our hobbies,” I remarked.

Don’t You Dare Do Nothing

          The 113^th Congress has been worse than a do nothing Congress with its sad record of bull-headed incompetence. Both the 112^th and 113^th have been “Do Damage” Congresses. By refusing to resolve in a positive way the issues that create fairness for ordinary Americans, they have damaged our economy, our world standing, and our future.

           No climate change action, no gun background checks, no immigration reform, no meaningful job or street-level economic recovery actions, no minimum wage action, no action to overturn “citizens united,” no revision of trade agreements or deliberative action thereupon, no tax reform, no elimination of “too big to fail,” and no counteraction on voting rights and other Constitutional infringements, are all among their abject failures.

Congress has cheated America out of seven years of prosperity, and generations of Americans out of enduring improvements. Perhaps because they misunderstood what was going on, or they didn’t want average Americans to succeed in the present political situation. Perhaps because those who own their genuine allegiance thrive when the young, the poor, and the dwindling middle class are broke, hungry and scared.

           Elections are coming soon. If the young, the poor, and the middle class don’t remember, and turn out and vote to replace these do damage demagogues with representatives who are worthy of the office, then they (we) deserve the sorry result—the hostage-taking-Hell-with-America obstruction.

Around here we think we owe it to America to suit up, show up, and vote. Doing nothing is too “last century.”