The Sinister Act of Sequester

Today, our government officials, appointed and elected, should have grappled and found a solution to an event that will occur tonight at midnight due to their inability to act. The sequester that begins at midnight will not be felt immediately, but, over time will eat away at an already struggling nation. Within the next year, our citizens will see that these arbitrary budget cuts taking place because of the lack of leadership in Washington, DC. These cuts will not only hurt the economy, but will make life harder for the most vulnerable of society and threaten our national security.

I have lived in four states before coming to DC: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina. If these sequestrations are played out to their fullest, the combined affects on these four states will be:

• 870 teachers and aides jobs will be at risk
• 1,910 low income students will lose work study jobs they have to help pay for college
• 111,000 students will lose access to support programs and special educational resources in public schools
• 174,630 workers will loose access to job training
• 190 public schools will lose funds to help at-risk students
• 86,000 Civilian Department of Defense employees will be furloughed
• 2,000 victims of domestic violence will lose access to support services
• $3,666,000.00 will be cut to provide meals to sick and homebound senior adults
• 9,500 fewer children will get vaccinations
• $2,238,000.00 will be cut that provides response to threats of infectious diseases and natural disasters

This is but a few of the negative effects that will be felt. I hope the numbers are wrong, but more importantly, this isn't a conversation that even needs to be taking place. The above cuts alone will not move our government to a solution. The announcement today that free flights upon military aircraft will no longer be available to elected officials, unless they are flying to a militarized zone, and that they will have to fly commercial will most probably get them to act soon.
This sequester and the debt ceiling issues have occurred because we have allowed our elected and appointed officials to become so polarized that the forward movement of this country is virtually stagnant. We no longer employ our government officials to move our nation forward but to rest on their laurels and argue. This was not the design.

Our government and party system was designed to foster healthy conflict and vigorous debate in an effort to get the best ideas, ideals and visions on the table so that the brightest minds of our country could then collaborate and cooperatively move forward, knowing that no one party or group gets their way all of the time. I believe what we are encountering today is a new cultural phenomena. 

No longer do we celebrate cooperative collaborations. We are a people who now enjoy conquer and divide. We love debate and we love stopping forward movement of the opposing "view" even better. The joy today is finding in keeping those we oppose from doing anything, even if its right. This is happening not only in politics but also business, international relations, faith relations, relations within our communities of faith and in our families. We have become more tech savvy, social media dependent  and dysfunctional with interpersonal and face to face relationships.

Recently, I have been reminded by Henry Blackaby that leaders do what is right while politicians do what is popular. Unfortunately, we have a gap in leadership and a whole lot of politicians in every aspect of life. People actually know what is right and still do not act upon it and this saddens me.

I am afraid until folk, both inside and outside of the Church, understand the concept that Apostle Paul was trying to get across in I Corinthians 12, polarization will continue to rule the day. 

Was a solution found today? No. Even if a solution was found there was not enough elected leaders in DC to pass the recommendation and avoid the sequester...shameful. What is more shameful is that procrastination is tolerated by the American people. That, my folks, is on you and me.

My advice? In the future elect and appointment leaders, not politicians! Elect women and men who have a record of successful collaboration, a trail of networking, healthy relationships of diversity, a history of being proactive and making timely decisions that enhance the whole and not a part. These folk exists...they are community leaders, faith leaders, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. Basically, I think the future is with leaders who are spread throughout this country and not presently serving in Washington, DC.