Oh yeah, As I drove off to run my errand I remembered what else set me off on the last post – Illinois pension benefit crisis.
I’m sure I was reading about it more than a decade ago when it was only a looming disaster. Nothing was done of course, I guess the GOP was too busy warring over abortion, guns and God! Oh they probably wrung their hands over it like they currently are doing over our deficits but they have gotten into the habit of not fixing problems so they can moan over them at election time.
And just in case my old Buddy still holds his nose to open my blog to see what balderdash I’m currently writing – yup. Democrats can be just as bad.
But in the old days Republicans like Bob Dole could be counted on to fix problems. Remember Social Security once threatened to end up like Illinois Public employee pensions. Then Republicans began working with Democratic President Bill Clinton and they largely fixed the problem. Future tweaks will be necessary but a couple years ago when the GOP had Obama on the ropes he was desperate to work with them and give them about 90% of what they wanted. Ah, but Senate majority leader McConnell was quite blunt about what the top priority of the GOP was – to insure that Obama was a one term President. And we all know how well that worked out don’t we?
I’m a strong believer in two major political parties fighting for the center and working actively to solve problems instead of giving into the hyperbolic. I used to be scolded by Democrats who saw I shared many of their beliefs for sticking with the GOP. The GOP still needs folks like me for the good of the nation. We need Republicans who are Americans first and partisans second or even third.
I wonder how well a leper will be received if he hobbles back to the big tent?
Oh and PS. My Dad was a president of a public employee union. I think he’d second of my analysis.
