Sequester

As an active civil servant for the Department of Defense, I am called upon to serve at the direction of those appointed above me in my chain of command, from my immediate supervisor all the way to the SECDEF, who responds in accordance to the will of the president in response to the defense requirements and objectives of America. I'll be the first to admit that I don't always agree with the logic or some of the processes of our government. It's not perfect, but it's still the best in the world. What I do find difficult to comprehend lately is the ensuing madness and ineptitude that seems to continually emanate from our elected leaders, especially when it comes to running the housekeeping of our beloved nation.



Somewhere along the lines of checks and balances and a collective team approach of "we are the United States," we became enemies with and among ourselves. We have turned away from values and principles that have defined us as a nation and have instead become so polarized that it is literally crippling any chance we have to recover from the choices we have made to this point. Forget progress. We must first focus on stopping the hemorrhaging that'll get us to a place where we can begin to heal. We must return to the basics of that originally defined America if we are to project strength of any kind, let alone power from a purely defense perspective.

Our government, under the leadership of a divisive president and a dysfunctional legislative branch, are so at odds with each other that our country is quickly finding its way to a grinding halt. Washington hasn't created a budget in over four years, while spending has spiraled out of control to unprecedented levels. If any one of our families even attempted to operate a personal budget using Washington D.C.'s "creative processes" as a model, they'd not only be flat broke but would no doubt be in jail or an insane asylum. You simply cannot spend what you do not have!

I can report from an inside perspective, that the manner in which our government "reacts" to its fiscal obligations serves only to support uncertainty and discord among those of us who are entrusted to execute the mission while doing our level best to be good stewards of the taxpayer's money. There's a whole lotta belt tightening going on...has been for years. Given a defined framework (a budget) from which to operate and function, your government is able to plan and execute smartly in order to meet national security objectives. The absence of a budget, on the other hand, actually increases waste and decreases efficiency. Go figure!

As a civil servant, I have accepted ─ albeit with some reservation ─ the discontinuance of pay raises since 2010 (aside from the paltry one-half of one percent we recently received in 2013), and like so many other Americans, have seen the tax holiday expire, gas prices rise, and now, a possible sequestration, or furlough ─ which is essentially just another government word for "layoff." And we're being told (or sold) by Washington that we're in the midst of an economic recovery? What am I missing?

Because I belong to an organization whose charge is to support and defend the constitution, I understand the definition of sacrifice. I've lived it and seen many friends and colleagues die for it. Like so many others alongside me however, I keep waiting for the rest of the nation to come together to do their part. One party, one sector, one "side", or one man alone cannot fix this, nor should they be expected to. It is going to take the collective will of ALL Americans to stand up and address the issues.

America is wounded!  She is on one knee and needs EVERYONE to come to her aid.

It never ceases to amaze me that, for so many problematic issues in our country, politicians can typically be found at the epicenter, each side pointing fingers at the other in a standoff blame game, while those of us who pay their salaries fall victim to their inaction, ineptitude, and infighting by way of layoffs, pay freezes, hiring freezes, tax increases, and budget cuts. It's high time THEY become truly accounatable for their actions...or inactions. (Term limits anyone?)

I did not sign up for the kind of change we were promised five years ago. Granted, America needed to be changed then inasmuch as it still needs to be changed (some would argue even more so now than then). But the change America needed five years ago was a slight adjustment by way of a course correction, not a complete reversal. As a people, we know how to get there. We know that hard work and smart decisions are just the beginning to correct the course we need to be on in order to become strong once again.

Everyone knows with certainty that the sequester can be avoided. Unemployment can be lowered. Prosperity and pride can return to our country...if we'll just get out of the way, allow the free enterprise system to work, and stop trying to define the manner in which it should be framed. It cannot be fixed unilaterally. It cannot be repaired idealistically. And it cannot continue on its current trajectory for much longer.

It has been said that the best lessons lie in learning what not do inasmuch as they reside in learning the right thing to do. My hope is that we have learned all we need to know about what not to do in time to keep America from having to go down to both knees.

Let me know what YOU think.

Until next time!

- G -

 Please visit my website: www.gwestfal.com
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