I originally wrote this for my site - The Political is Personal
The chart below leaves little doubt how angry people are at Congress and DC itself. The Republican self-fulfilling prophetic plan to prove government cannot function seems to be working. By being a constant roadblock to progress, Republican leaders in Congress have managed to sacrifice their own self image to cost Congress its whole reputation.
Now just seven percent of the American public places a high or very high belief on Congressional honesty and integrity. The exact opposite comes true when the question is posed about nurses with 84 percent having a high rating and a lowly 1 percent placing a negative honesty ranking on the profession. I guess Showtime's Nurse Jackie is not reaching all that many people.
Meanwhile cable news continues it onslaught against government functionality with right wing talking points. "Government doesn't create jobs." This phrase comes during an economic downturn not seen since the Great Depression. Meanwhile more than four people are unemployed for every current job opening. Stiff competition and it does not include people working part-time who want full-time work nor the people looking to change jobs. The competition only increases. Yet, the popular talking point of the government is somehow incapable of creating jobs comes from the mouths of people working government jobs. The irony is thick.
Telemarketers scored better in the Gallup survey. These are people who, granted are trying to make a living, annoy the hell out of you at dinner and face constant scorn from people on the other end of the line. They are known for trying to sell you anything and yet the public views them better than the people we elect to lead us.
I fear we just might be doomed. Last week more than a fair share of congressional leaders avoided talking to the unemployed. Many traveled hundreds if not a couple thousand miles to speak with their representative. Despite the long distance travel they hid in their offices, ran to the elevator or down the stairs.
The video above just shows a few instances, mostly Illinois politicians, running scared. They don't want to listen to the people whose lives they most affect. Especially when it comes to jobs, health care and day-to-day concerns. Just look at the most recent idea to come from the GOP.
Raising taxes on millionaires may be a non-starter for Republicans, but they seem to have no problem hiking Medicare premiums for retirees making a lot less. The House is expected to vote Tuesday on a year-end economic package that includes a provision raising premiums for “high-income” Medicare beneficiaries, now defined as those making $85,000 and above for individuals, or $170,000 for families….Just the top 5 percent of Medicare recipients currently pay higher premiums, a change that took effect a few years ago. The new GOP proposal would expand that over time to include the highest-earning one-fourth of seniors. [...]
Currently the high-income premiums start at 35 percent of the cost of Medicare’s outpatient and drug coverage for individuals making $85,000 year, and rise to 80 percent of the cost at the very top income brackets….The House GOP plan would increase the high-income premium by 15 percent in 2017 and lower the thresholds at which the higher fees kick in. Most significantly, it freezes those income thresholds indefinitely, until one-fourth of Medicare recipients are paying “high-income” premiums. It’s unclear how long that would take, but currently only about 2 million out of 47 million Medicare beneficiaries pay higher premiums. Eventually that number would easily surpass 10 million.
The bold emphasis is from Think Progress but remains because of its importance. They want to increase the burden on working families while the rich continue to pay what they do now. The left likes to talk about making corporations and the rich pay their fair share. I hate the phrase but will save why for another time. If the goal is fair share in this case then shouldn't some of the burden be carried the most affluent people in our society?
It could just be too logical of an idea for the Republican Party or it could just be they are only in it to care for those who don't really need it. As a result, all of Congress is viewed through this prism of doing the bidding of the one percent. Leaving the "esteemed" branch of government wallowing in the mud of dishonesty.