The LuLac Edition #2319, January 2nd, 2013

"Write On Wednesday" logo. 

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY 

WHY THE PAIN? 

Last night the House of Representatives succumbed to pressure from the U.S. Senate and eased the nation back from the fiscal cliff. Personally I don't think they realized the Senate would vote so overwhelmingly for it. The sad part ifs that if the Tea Party had let John Boehner do his job last year, the GOP would have gotten a better deal. The next few months will define what the Republican party stands for but more importantly who they stand with. I fear that the GOP that I respected when I was growing up no longer exists. It is for that reason that Americans, middle class Americans in particular need to be vigilant to see how we will be treated. This came over the e mail machine from Wil Toole of Dupont. Toole has written a few articles in the local newspapers. This missive was sent to them. I thought it was so cogent and timely, I snagged it for LuLac this week and pushed back our other items a week. Here is his take on what we face in the near future.  
Why must the working class endure pain, any pain? The Republican House would not discuss a little more taxes on the folks earning over $400,000 unless there are cuts in the entitlement programs. Why? . 
Consider the life style of the 2%, their million dollar homes, vacation homes, multiple luxury vehicles, jewelry that borders on sinful, country club life and vacations we the people don't even dare dream of. If they pick up 1 or 2% in additional taxes, how will it affect them? None of the benefits previously mentioned will go away. Fancy dinner parties will not be canceled nor will the exotic vacations. But what about the working class? . The average member of the working class works till he drops or reaches the age of retirement. If he is lucky enough to have had a good job, he will have a modest home, an average vehicle, Social Security and maybe even a pension earned during his working years. If entitlements are cut, how will that affect him? 
He will scramble to find health coverage that won't cause him to forego a doctor's appointment or a visit to the emergency room. He may very well pass on a needed medication because it is just not affordable. Dinner out on occasion will be at the local pizza parlor/restaurant or local diner but you can bet it won't be at a country club. If entitlements are cut, seniors will revert back to the character traits that made this country great. They will sacrifice but still find a dollar for the Salvation Army donation kettle or a dollar for the church collection but for themselves, they will sacrifice, do without and not enjoy the dream retirement we all deserve and think about.
Why does this have to be? Why do working class people pick up on the mantra of the wealthy and join the Republican choir on entitlement downgrades? Why? Are we the people so blind, so empty headed that we don't realize that we fight for the wealthy to retain what they have while insisting that entitlements for the 98% be cut?
Would it ever dawn on we the people that we should be screaming to cut foreign aid, especially aid given to countries that vote against us in the UN? Would it be possible that we all insist that if South Korea wants our protection then let them pay the huge cost we bear to maintain our military presence on their borders? Germany, Japan and the other countries that enjoy our military presence paid for by cutting entitlements of our senior citizens also need to pay for their peace of mind. Why do we the people have to make further sacrifice? How many of our young died protecting them?
The Tea Party tail has been wagging the Republican Dog for the past two years and we the people stand by and wait to see what crumbs will fall on our tables and we gear up for the cuts that are sure to come. WHY?
If you agree, you can call our members of Congress and we can tell Representative Lou Barletta, Senator Toomey and Representative Marino that it is we the people they should represent, not the 2%, not the aid receiving countries and certainly not the countries who enjoy our military support. .We are a charitable country and we have done more than our share to feed, cloth and protect the world but it is time that charity begins to protect those at home. Leave it to someone else to take up our fight for entitlements and you will become part of the problem. Do something today, anything is better than nothing. Congressman elect Matt Cartwright will fight for our entitlements even if he is the last man standing but we can help Cartwright fight the fight with our voices. The time to raise them is now! 

Wil Toole Dupont, PAis a former city Administrator of Pittston City, and a citizen activist who attends public meetings and pens many a letter to the local newspapers.