The "Sequester"

I'm not sure why they call it the "sequester," but the "sequester" is an across-the-board set of federal budget cuts set to take effect on March 1.

There is a lot of finger-pointing and blaming and cross-accusation about the "sequester," making it pretty hard to know exactly what it is and what's going on, but here are a few things about the "sequester" that seem to be true and undisputed.

1.  It's real.

These are real budget cuts, they are really across-the-board, and they are really going to take effect.  Apparently, the law is written in such a way that the executive branch has no discretion to cut spending where it chooses, but must make cuts pro-rata across all the departments.

2.  It's bad.

Except for a tiny group whose objective seems to be to destroy the federal government, everyone agrees that the "sequester" will be bad for America.  There is substantial dispute about how bad it will be, from those who say "It won't be that bad" to those who say "It will be a disaster."  Some say that it would be good to cut the federal budget in the total amount of the "sequester," but even they agree that across-the-board cuts, with no judgement as to what programs get cut and in what amounts to accomplish the total, is bad.  But, as far as I can tell, no sensible person claims that it will be good.  Everyone agrees that, to some extent, it will be bad for America.

3.  It's manufactured.

The Congress of the United States, in a law signed by the President of the United States, created the "sequester."  It is not the necessary result of forces beyond our control.  It is self-inflicted.  This does not mean that it isn't real.  It is very real.  But, it is manufactured.  We created it.

4.  It could easily be avoided.

All the Congress has to do is pass a bill repealing the "sequester" and the President sign that law and this thing that is real and admitted by virtually everyone as bad will simply disappear.  There is nothing that is unavoidable about it.

But, there do not seem to be any plans, at least no public plans, to avoid the "sequester."

So, it appears that the Democrats and the Republicans are playing a game of chicken.  They are trying to see who will swerve out of the way first as they drive headlong into each other.  And, from all appearances, both have decided it won't be them.  Which will result in a crash.

Unfortunately, it won't be the Congressmen or the President, it won't be the Democratic leadership of the nation or the Republican leadership of the nation, who are hurt the worst.  It will be the average American.  Vital services - services that almost everyone agrees are necessary - will be cut.  Programs considered extremely important by average Republican Americans will be cut, programs they would never cut if given the choice of cutting that program or some other.  Programs considered extremely important by average Democratic Americans will be cut, programs they would never cut if given the choice of cutting that program or some other.  And the economy will be hurt, impacting virtually everyone.  No one knows how much the economy will suffer, but virtually everyone agrees there will be some damage to the economy, and some pretty smart people think it will be disastrous to the economy.

Nonetheless, it appears that our leaders are going to let it happen, even though they know it is bad.

In case it wasn't obvious, here's what I think ought to happen:  the Congress should pass a law and the President should sign that law repealing the law by which our Congress and our President created this real, bad, yet manufactured event.  Then, how much, if any, and where, we cut the federal budget should be fought out in the process of adopting a federal budget.  And we should adopt a budget, not just pass continuing resolutions and never adopt a budget.  If someone has the votes to make a cut, then so be it.  If they don't, then they need to stop trying to sabotage America with these manufactured crises.

Who should we hold responsible?  We should hold responsible every U.S. Representative and every U.S. Senator who does not either file a bill or support a bill filed by someone else to repeal the "sequester."  If they pass such a bill, we should hold the President responsible if he doesn't immediately sign it.

Enough of this craziness.

But, speaking of craziness, none of this will make a spit worth of difference in the long run if we don't do something about global climate change.  If we don't deal with that problem, the effects of the "sequester," no matter how bad, are going to seem like a holiday.