Can We Really Be This Lucky?

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/congressional-gridlock-could-be-good


If there is anything I have learned in the past few years, it is that the Clinton era was an economically sound time.  We had come out major inflation problems faced in the 1980's, a budget surplus, and the stock market was booming.  I really do not know if this was because of the Clinton tax codes were that beneficial, or if the Bush tax cuts were that harmful. If what is said in this article is true, then I lean towards the Bush tax-cuts being less than useful to the country.

Should this be true, that Congress can do more to fix the problems by doing nothing, an interesting paradigm is created that maybe be hard to come out from under.  If they (Congressional Democrats) do nothing, then Republicans will rant, rave, and scream that Congress is a lame duck that refuses to do something when the country needs it most.  If the do something, they risk harming the country when the country does not need harm.I have read in several places that Congressional Democrats need to call the Republican bluff and let the deadline pass. I would be interested to see what would really happen should this take place, and I hope that it does.

This, however, fails to mention the precedent it sets for the future.  When the going gets tough, are future Congresses going to sit back and not take action?  Are they going to forever be taking every forward step only after looking around to see if they have to, as if they were in an episode of Scooby Doo? Does it show the American people that Congress is inept? That Congress not doing something is better than Congress in action.  I think not on any occasion.  Congress can take the measures needed (or not needed as the case may be) this time, and every time if they only stop, look around, and proceed with some level of caution.  In addition, Congress not acting on the budget cuts, is no different than President Obama vetoing a bill or simply letting it lay on his desk until Congressional support wains. We have this lovely system of checks and balances in the United States.  It is about time we use them in this decade.  (A a side note: it's hard to teach 8th graders without examples. I'm looking at you government)

I see no problem in letting the budget go untouched.  It would provide short-term and long run solutions to problems we are facing.  If Americans are taught the situtation, and taught it with the facts, they will see that Congress's in-activity is not a bad thing but a good thing.  If my understanding of the situtation, and my knowledge of Clinton era economics are correct, then who would not want Congress to pack up and go home on December 16th?  I know I wouldn't