Is Congress talking the talk and walking the walk?
The phrase talk the talk and walk the walk is one which individuals we elect to Congress or other government entities need to understand the meaning and importance. Whether it is Congress, a state government or a local government entity this phrase is one which all elected individuals need honor. Politicians are great about making promises but their actions in most cases do not match their talk. Making promises is one thing but following up with actions or an action plan is an important characteristic which seems to be lacking today especially in Congress.
They say actions speak louder than words and this phrase says it all. The statements that individuals make can only be matched by what they actually do. Many individuals who are elected to office make many promises but those promises many times are not fulfilled once they start serving their elected terms.
The approval rating of Congress is at an all-time low but the President is not much better. The rating as it applies to Congress speaks volumes with respect to the actions taken by individuals in relation to the promises they make when running for office. Granted things can change but if a person does not initiate actions to address the promises they make while running for office then the words they have spoken mean nothing. It is one thing to make statements about what you are going to do whether you have been elected to office and quite another if your actions do not back up your statements. It is true often individuals make statements they later regret and do not follow through with the actions behind them. This can be a good thing when it is realized the negatives outweigh the benefits. In some cases the action to solve a problem may be worse than the problem itself.
One point to make is that there are those who have been elected and they are few in number that actually are committed to the principles and statements they make along with honoring the Constitution. They actions are met with criticism from the establishment even though their actions are the right thing to do. It may be time to have a new establishment one that honors the Constitution not their political party. There are good individuals in Congress who want to do the right thing but they are too few in numbers to accomplish what they set out to do when they were running for office.
In a previous article I stated we need new leadership in Congress for both political parties. Each time a new legislature is elected the leaders of each body of Congress is elected to be in place for the next two years. It is hoped there will be enough new individuals who will honor the Constitution in addition to those who it is hoped will be reelected that will cause a shakeup in the leadership. It is also hoped that whoever is elected President will honor the Constitution and will actually be a leader in proposing solutions to the critical issues our country faces today and into the future. Sadly this may be the only thing which turns our country around.
There are many issues which need to be addressed the biggest of them all is our national debt. Contributors to this situation are government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and welfare. Our country continuously takes actions to support those individuals who need it to survive but the present financial status requires that proper actions need to be made. One of the things that need to occur is to change the dynamic of getting more money working than being on welfare. Today there is no incentive for many individuals to go to work as they receive more from the government than they would if they were working. Politicians talk a good talk about resolving these problems but the solutions keep getting pushed down the road for other legislative bodies to resolve. In some cases Congress needs to learn from states that have turned their economies around from the deficits of past administrations. It is hoped that the new President and the new Congress which will begin in 2017 will address the solutions needed to put our country on a sound financial path. There are solutions that have been successful in the past and these should be reapplied to our future.
Individuals in the new Congress and the new President need to seek advice from private industry in developing solutions that make sense. It is one thing to seek the advice but quite another to implement the suggestions. Sadly in the past in many cases the advice is given but is ignored both by Congress and past Presidents. The spending frenzy currently in place needs to change and some of the principles of individuals now serving in Congress need to be seriously considered in resolving the issues facing our country. There are many programs and in some cases executive departments that do not fall under the control of Congress according to the Constitution and should be eliminated thereby reducing the cost of government. In some cases some decisions or controls currently in place which are not necessarily identified in the Constitution should be under federal control but they are the exception rather than the rule. Individuals elected need to commit to honoring the Constitution and if proposals to implement actions or those in place which violate the Constitution should be soundly rejected. It is hope there will be a new beginning after the results of the next election. We as voters need to make the right decisions in electing individuals who will honor the Constitution and follow through with their promises to do so.
