Image Source: The White House
BY JIM FLINK
Strap in. Another fiscal cliff is coming, and this time --- analysts say --- the brakes won’t work. First -- President Obama mixes in his own metaphorical message.
“Now if Congress allows this meat cleaver approach to take place... it will jeopardize our military readiness...
… border patrol agents will see their hours reduced....
… FBI agents will be furloughed....
So, gloom and doom? Yes, most analysts say. Here are some of the key facts and figures.
The cuts are set to kick in March 1 and will cut $85 billion of federal money from the military, federal law enforcement, parks, teachers, first responders and other federal workers.
None of this has to be inevitable. But despite lots of lip service, neither side wants to cooperate either. CNN's Christine Romans says, Congress has gotten so wayward, it is willing to swallow a poison pill, rather than reach an agreement on where the cuts need to be made.
“It was created as a worst case scenario, that lawmakers would be forced to make a deal. And now, here we are, a month and a half past the original deadline, and still no deal to avoid it.”
That’s not the worst case, according to former White House advisor Erskine Bowles. These cuts will also hit consumers where they live -- at the courthouse, at the school, at the airport.
On Politico, the former Clinton White House Chief of Staff says, the worst case -- comes after the crash -- for Congress.
“When you guys have to go out here to go out to Reagan airport, and wait in line three hours to get through security, you’re gonna be pissed....”
“...and you can use lots of different stories just like that...”
But former Democratic Senator and current Fox News Contributor Dennis Kucinich says -- Congress shouldn’t get the blame. The President should.
“In fact, the idea of draconian cuts to the Defense budget came from the White House....With automatic spending cuts looming, the president will continue to distance himself from the sequestration process, and Republicans will try to bring him back to where he started: As the Initiator.”
Regardless of who gets blamed, TIME’s Swampland notes, it’s a sad state of affairs....
“... for the fifth time in two years, the world economy and Washington are all taking their place on the brink of dysfunction ... Washington has so many crises stacked up that both sides have the room to let this crisis happen and then unwind its most severe effects when the next one appears.”
If no action is taken, the automatic spending cuts will kick in -- one week from Friday.
Image Source: The White House
BY JIM FLINK
Strap in. Another fiscal cliff is coming, and this time --- analysts say --- the brakes won’t work. First -- President Obama mixes in his own metaphorical message.
“Now if Congress allows this meat cleaver approach to take place... it will jeopardize our military readiness...
… border patrol agents will see their hours reduced....
… FBI agents will be furloughed....
So, gloom and doom? Yes, most analysts say. Here are some of the key facts and figures.
The cuts are set to kick in March 1 and will cut $85 billion of federal money from the military, federal law enforcement, parks, teachers, first responders and other federal workers.
None of this has to be inevitable. But despite lots of lip service, neither side wants to cooperate either. CNN's Christine Romans says, Congress has gotten so wayward, it is willing to swallow a poison pill, rather than reach an agreement on where the cuts need to be made.
“It was created as a worst case scenario, that lawmakers would be forced to make a deal. And now, here we are, a month and a half past the original deadline, and still no deal to avoid it.”
That’s not the worst case, according to former White House advisor Erskine Bowles. These cuts will also hit consumers where they live -- at the courthouse, at the school, at the airport.
On Politico, the former Clinton White House Chief of Staff says, the worst case -- comes after the crash -- for Congress.
“When you guys have to go out here to go out to Reagan airport, and wait in line three hours to get through security, you’re gonna be pissed....”
“...and you can use lots of different stories just like that...”
But former Democratic Senator and current Fox News Contributor Dennis Kucinich says -- Congress shouldn’t get the blame. The President should.
“In fact, the idea of draconian cuts to the Defense budget came from the White House....With automatic spending cuts looming, the president will continue to distance himself from the sequestration process, and Republicans will try to bring him back to where he started: As the Initiator.”
Regardless of who gets blamed, TIME’s Swampland notes, it’s a sad state of affairs....
“... for the fifth time in two years, the world economy and Washington are all taking their place on the brink of dysfunction ... Washington has so many crises stacked up that both sides have the room to let this crisis happen and then unwind its most severe effects when the next one appears.”
If no action is taken, the automatic spending cuts will kick in -- one week from Friday.
