Editorials and Opinions

David Post • January 30, 2013

Some heroes are famous. Others are just quietly courageous.

The most courageous people I ever met, and admittedly never knew very well, were the handful of 14-year-old African- American students who in 1963, when we were freshmen, chose to come to my white high school rather to their black high school. They chose to be strangers in a strange new place rather than be stars in a familiar place.

In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education decid- ed that “separate education facilities were inher- ently unequal.”My typical small southern town ignored the Supreme Court. In 1970, the courts required southern schools to integrate, but, in the 1963 south, it was a choice that took real courage.

Four of my black classmates came to mind during the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.

Clarence passed away three weeks ago. He was a gentle giant who always recognized me with a smile, reminded me who he was, and told me to not worry about forgetting his name.

Margaret came to our 25th reunion picnic – but not the dinner – and askedus white kids to sign her yearbook. Now twenty years later, that episode embarrasses me still. No other black classmate ever came to our white reunions.

Herman was asuperstar student and athlete who excelled at football, basketball, and track. Today, he’s a doctor in New York City. During my freshman year, Key Club selected new mem- bers.It was an honor. Herman was not selected. The following year, our longest meeting was debating whether to offer him membership. We didn’t. Race was never mentioned. Race was the only issue.

My memory is vivid because as a Jew in the South, I knew how quiet – and deafening – discrimination could be. My parents and I discussed whether I should quit Key Club. I didn’t. It was easy, as it has throughout my life, to quietly hide behind my white skin and blond hair. Herman couldn’t do that.

Linda graduated number one in our class with a 4.0 average, the highest grade point average then possible. She never received the recognition that others with lower grades (like me) got. She was also – and may sue me for publishing this – drop-dead gorgeous.

Linda is a lawyer in Connecticut, now a nationally known “mover and shaker” in the non- profit world. After being a bank attorney and serving as a commissioner of the Connecticut utility regulatory agency, she became president of one of the nation’s largest non-profit foundations managing $750 million dollars, more than a thousand funds, and thousands of grants.

In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. declared, “I Have a Dream,” just days before school started. Did these young heroesdecide to break the race barrier because of that speech? How do they remember those years? It can’t be good.

“Connect . . . connect . . . connect,” Dr. Zinerva White slowly repeated at my city’s MLK breakfast until the 500 of us absorbed his message and reached out to hold hands with the person next to us.

I called Herman and Linda, 50 years late, to “connect.”

In 1963, my little town had its own heroic Martin Luther Kings.

Jack Evans •

Council Period 20 is now well underway, and we will soon be swept up in our oversight and budget season. Before
that happens, I want to lay out some of my top priorities for the term.

Our public education system continues to be one of my top areas of focus. I was pleased to work with the community in helping to advocate that the Chancellor keep Garrison and Francis-Stevens open. Fortunately, the Chancellor took note of what we are already well aware of in Ward 2 – demographic trends in our neighborhoods require our city to pro- vide residents with the educational and other resources our new children will need. I hope families will continue to decide to stay in the District, unlike in past years, when so many young families would move to the suburbs once they started having children.

Next, public safety is a continuing prior- ity of mine. As the District’s population continues to grow, not to mention the daytime commuter population, we need an expanded police force to continue to keep us safe. While I applaud the Chief for reporting the lowest homicide rate in decades last year, we have to give her the resources she needs to continue this trend. When I first moved to DC, we had 5,200 officers on the police force. When I joined the Council, we had 4,800. Would you believe that today we have only 3,890 sworn officers? I introduced a bill a few weeks ago that would mandate that the Mayor fund 4,000 officers as a minimum staffing level. That is not a magic number, but in my judgment, after 20 years of service, it is a first step in the right direction. We also need to fund overdue pay raises to the officers currently on the force – when you don’t give pay raises for several years, retention starts to become a problem.

Third, I want to continue to focus on providing access to quality health care for all our residents. Hopefully, it is well known by now that we have the second-highest state insurance coverage rate in the country, with only Massachusetts consistently outscoring us. Isn’t it nice to finally be at the top of one of those state ranking lists? I am excited about the implementation of the District’s new health care exchange, which should make it easier for individuals to avail themselves of private health insurance options. I want to make sure, though, that this is not done in a way that increases insurance costs for our small businesses.

Fourth, I want to continue to fund afford- able housing. I was one of the original cre- ators of the Housing Production Trust Fund, and I still support it because it is one of a relative few government programs that con- sistently exceeds our performance expecta- tions. I believe it is critical to subsidize private developments, such as the Howard Town Center project, so that they include affordable housing components. I was dis- appointed to see undoubtedly well-meaning but nonetheless misguided opposition to this project from a handful of public officials and public interest lobbying groups. I think there is a misunderstanding by many of how this business works – developers will choose the most profitable business proposition available to them. Care to take a guess as to whether affordable housing generates more profits than the development of an office building? Anyone familiar with economics knows that if we don’t at least help cover the opportunity cost spread between the use we want (such as a mixed use that includes affordable housing) and the most profitable use (yet another office building), all we will get is office space. Not to mention that with regard to Howard Town Center, specifically, the land was sitting vacant for nearly a decade and will continue to do so if not for our efforts.

All of these priorities lead to my fifth goal – more jobs for District residents. When you provide a world class education system, a safe environment, and affordable housing, as well as health care, to all our residents, jobs will follow. While many parts of our city are doing well, other parts of our city remain at very high levels of unemployment and deserve our best efforts in facilitating job creation in the District. Helping to incentivize the creation of construction jobs through city projects prepares our residents for long-term career paths through apprenticeship programs. Once the developments are completed, permanent hospitality jobs result as businesses occupy the new spaces, and we receive many dollars in expanded tax revenue for each dollar we initially invest in subsidies.

Thank you for all your support and good ideas, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you have any constituent services requests with which we can assist you.

Georgetowner • January 16, 2013

Remember Thelma and Louise?

Louise shoots a drunk guy who tried to rape Thelma. They headed for Mexico, chased by police cars and helicopters. Everyone was in a state of hysteria. Holding hands, Thelma and Louise decided to control their own destiny, hit the accelerator, and drove over the cliff. The movie ended before they hit bottom.

What about Road Runner? For decades, Wile E. Coyote has been chasing Road Runner. In every episode, Road Runner speeds over a cliff, realizes he is standing in midair, turns around, runs back to the safety of solid land, and off he goes, still beyond the reach of Wile E. Coyote.

That’s all that happened, and everyone knew it that was going to happen.

So why the fuss?

Would going over fiscal cliff have been such a bad thing? Taxes would have gone up to Clinton-era rates (when 22 million new jobs were created). Discretionary domestic and defense spending will be cut by about 5%.

Simpson-Bowles is looking much better today. It and a number of other commissions seem to agree that deficits must be reduced by $4 trillion over the next 10 years. The fiscal cliff would have done it. Avoiding the fiscal cliff means less deficit reduction over the next couple of years and more deficit reduction in future years. In other words, to avoid a painful adjustment now, we’ll have less economic growth in the future.

Paul Volker and Alan Greenspan supported heading off the cliff. They believe in taking some strong medicine now in exchange for increased growth in the future rather than tepid growth or slight recession for years.

Mr. Volker did just that in the early 1980s. He raised interest rates to choke the 10% inflation of those times. Unemployment climbed to 10% and created a deep recession. Two years later, after the economy lost almost 3 million jobs, the U.S. came roaring back. Over the next six years of President Reagan’s presidency, stock market values surged fourfold and 16 million new jobs were created.

Both President Obama and the Republicans bought into Thelma and Louise rather than Road Runner, that is, that we would hit the bottom rather than running back.

Republicans knew that on Jan. 3, a new Congress would be sworn in with more Democrats and less Republicans in both the House and the Senate, and that it would be easier to cut a deal before that happened.

So, at the stroke of midnight after tax rates went up, they voted for a tax cut.

Everyone claimed victory.

President Obama got his higher tax rates on the wealthiest taxpayers.

Republicans got to vote for a tax cut for most people.

Even Grover Norquist declared victory and said that his pledge was intact.

On Jan. 3, the new Congress will arrive and begin the arduous task of dealing with spending cuts, the debt ceiling, and entitlements reform.

Like the Road Runner, the US economy will again speed off the cliff, look down, turn around, come back, and still escape the clutches of Wile E. Coyote.

Until March . . .

Beep beep.

Georgetowner •

The New Year has already rushed in on us living her in Washington D.C., daring you to catch your breath, but also reminding you that living here is like living nowhere else in the United States, in the world.

Already, we’ve more or less avoided going over a cliff and at the last second no less, with more thrills and spills to come—hello, debt ceiling, hello, government shutdown … or not.

We live in Washington, and we’re grateful for it, or should be, because here, people can live in their neighborhoods and still be a part of history every day, which is something you can’t do in Ames, Iowa, or Tuscaloosa, or San Francisco or Toledo, Ohio, or Toledo Spain.

The world comes to this city and we can’t help but noticing—look what happened just recently when the President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai came to meet with President Barack Obama and talk about the future of his country, and the future of our eventual withdrawal from his country. Karzai also happened to be giving an address at Georgetown University and with that speech—rare in terms of the opportunities provided to hear the leader of a country where American soldiers are still fighting and dying—we are reminded of where we live. The visit was also a reminder of the fact that all of us—in Georgetown, Adams Morgan, in all the wards, in Anacostia or Chevy Chase, live in a city where events of major and ritual import happen every day. In a few days, we’ll be celebrating the ritualistic inauguration of President Barack Obama for a second time, in an entirely different mood from his first, on the same day that we celebrate the birthday of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Both celebrations are events and are accompanied by other events—balls and parades, concerts and speeches, prayers and the gathering of crowds. At times like these, we gather on the Capitol, near the White House, along Pennsylvania Avenue, in our churches, and our performance arts centers and venues. Words will be said meant to inspire, but could also ire, given the current political climate of intemperance and gridlock. Songs will be sung—Smokey Robinson is in town for an MLK celebration.

Not far off is the State of the Union Address, and the great debates and hearings at the Supreme Court, this time taking up the issue of gay marriage. Lincoln and Washington will have birthdays, and before you know it, it will be opening day of the baseball season, and the spring opera season and Cherry Blossoms. The elected officials will once again gather to attempt to deal with each other with civility and a hope of a practical result. The language currently—on debt, deficits, gun control, shut downs and spending and saving and taxes and the like is uncommonly apocalyptic, apoplectic and uncompromising on just about any issue. Here in this city we hear the noises of discontent daily, they are a part of our walking-to-work muzak, along with the voices on the radio arguing health care, Obama, Boehner, the fate of the Redskins and the efficacy of photographic speed traps.
We still have no voting representative in Congress and are not likely to become a state anytime soon, but we appear to have a flush economy, a changing population and governing bodies that are not held in high esteem. Surely, you might know that the city council, the executive with the mayor in charge, might have something to do with the city’s enviable economic situation, but you can’t prove it by the news coverage, the news itself, where even respected elected types don’t get treated with respect. This may have something to do with the fact that the potential legal troubles hanging over the mayor’s head and others are still unresolved and remain an unrepentant focus of interest for the media.

We live in the sweet solace of neighborhoods where kids get taken to daycare and grow in spurts, and dogs rule on the sidewalks, where parking, shopping for groceries, getting flu shots, it’s the universal living and dying of every day, while within earshot, and eyesight, the great wild and wide world and its protests and protestations, its cultures, its troubles and dangers, lives right with us, down the street, inside government office buildings, the embassies of the world, in cultural institutions, in a note of music from a foreign land at an embassy on Massachusetts Avenue.

We, who live in Washington, those 99 percenters of us, appear after all to be rich in the wealth offered to us by living in a place that brings us the world into our world.

David Post • December 14, 2012

Imagine my surprise.

I was sitting in the lobby of an elegant hotel in Florence, Italy enjoying a glass of wine, listening to a pianist who could make his grand piano sound like an entire orchestra, and reading the International Herald Tribune.

On the front page was an attractive woman, a chiropractor, wearing a forlorn expression. She lives in McLean, Virginia, the Washington, DC suburb where Ted and Bobby Kennedy lived and where finding a condo or house for less than $1 million (or $2 million) is challenging.

She and her husband were worried that taxes on their taxable income above $250,000 might increase by 3.6%. They were wondering whether to close their practice temporarily and take a vacation to avoid higher tax rates that might take place next year.

I thought, “Huh?” until I saw the next paragraph quoting a friend of mine – let’s call him Edward. Edward owns a successful company that his father started 60 years ago. His parents and he have contributed deeply to the fabric of Salisbury, Md. Edward is a really smart guy with a great education. He worked with one of the nation’s largest financial institutions before returning to the family business. He has testified before Congress, served on national boards, and written articles in Washington newspapers about the hazards of regulations and taxes.

Edward said that he wanted to hire four new employees but that he was only going to hire three because his tax bill will increase $100,000 if the Bush tax cut expires.

Come on, Edward. You know better than that. First, an employer hires a new employee only if that employee produces more than he costs. If a new employee’s salary is $50,000, an employer will only hire her she produce at least $50,001 in benefits.

Second, taxes are admittedly complicated. I was a college professor for almost 40 years. Student often thought that “saving taxes”’ was the answer to any question about corporate strategy.

I’d ask, “Do you have $1.”

“Sure.”

“Give it to me.” The student would hand me $1. I’d give him 35 cents, put the $1 in my pocket, and say, “Thanks.” Then I’d ask the class, “Anyone else want to trade $1 for 35 cents?” No one would. No one trades $1 for 35 cents. Students always asked for their $1 back. “No,” I’d say. “That’s the best $1 you’ve spent on your education.”

Edward must be earning over $3 million per year. Here’s the math: how much income multiplied by 3.6% equals $100,000? The answer: over $2.75 million. Since Edward’s taxes won’t increase on his first $250,000, his net income (after expenses) must be over $3 million.

Edward is undoubtedly a terrific businessman. He probably doesn’t want the world to know that he’s making over $3 million per year. But if his taxes are really going up $100,000, he is.

Come on, Edward. Hire that fourth employee. If he’s good, he’ll make you more money than you pay him. And if you’re netting $3 million, you can afford it.

David Post •

A heavy dizziness like a black cloud engulfed me in a matter of seconds.

“Dad, are you ready?”

Blackout.

“Mom, he’s dead. Wait, he opened his eyes. He’s breathing again.”

A stretcher. An ambulance. The siren. Rolling through a hospital strapped to a bed. A sign that said “Triage” passed above.
Two IV tubes, one in each arm. Connected to machines measuring my heart rate, the oxygen in my blood, respiration, blood pressure (74/36). How low can that go?

An electrocardiogram. Blood being taken from both arms.

A brain scan. A chest X-ray. An abdominal X-ray.

Six hours later, another electrocardiogram. More blood tests.

Two doctors examined me. A half dozen nurses.

Talking to my daughter, Sasha, in Italian.

My daughter, Sasha, is studying art history in Florence, Italy. I visited her and rented an apartment about a half mile from her apartment. (Incidentally, www.homeway.com is the most incredible website if you want to consider an apartment instead of a hotel.)

We had walked six to eight hours a day all over Northern Italy and Paris for two weeks. My legs were sore. Our plan for my last day was to walk the hills around Fiesole, a famously scenic area overlooking the magnificence of this two thousand year old city.
With a sip of orange juice, I took an Aleve to ward off the soreness that was sure to follow. My head started itching. Then my body started itching. I glanced in the mirror. My face was flush red. My hair looked white. Sasha called at that precise moment. “Dad, are you ready?”

Blackout.

I knew I was dying and was out before I hit the floor. She heard my phone drop, ran down three flights of stairs, called an ambulance, found a policeman, and ran the half-mile to my apartment. She was in a panic but didn’t panic. Proficient in Italian after ten weeks, she convinced the police to break the door down.

A medic gave me a shot and I awoke out of anaphylactic shock. Had Sasha called two minutes earlier or one minute later, instead of packing to come home that night, I would have been the baggage.

My doctors in the U.S. are terrific, but my experience in Emergency Rooms has never been good. I’ve waited in pain or nervously four to eight hours to see a nurse or a doctor . . . or to do paperwork. In Italy, the attention was immediate.

The U.S. healthcare system is the only private-insured, employer-based in the world. We seem intent on keeping this system though less than half of U.S. citizens are now covered by employer insurance. In fact, an increasing number of employers are dropping or reducing or shifting the cost of healthcare to their employees.

What nation would create a system that costs almost twice as much as every other nation on earth and expect employers to pay for it – and wonder why its companies face competitive disadvantages in world markets? And results in shorter lifespans? Only the U.S. With average wages in the U.S. being $42,000, few employers can afford to pay $6,000 per employee, or $15,000 for an employee’s family health cost.

Luck smiled on me twice. First, my daughter was alert and decisive. Second, my medical care was incredible.

When we left the hospital ten hours later, the same woman who directed patients entering the hospital prepared my bill. She was embarrassed by how much it was – $525. Frankly, I’d rather pay cash in Italy than deal with insurance in the U.S.

Twelve hours later, I boarded a plane to come home. When I landed in the U.S., I suddenly started to cry. Sasha had saved my life and was now 6,000 miles away. I needed to be near her and couldn’t stop crying.

That was six days ago. Each time I’ve woken since, I’m surprised. Wow. I’m alive.

Georgetowner •

Wednesday is a big day. It could be a really, really, really big day.

It’s 12/12/12. Or dozen, dozen, dozen, doing the dozens, or December 12, 2012, the 12th day of the 12th month of the 12th year of the 21st century. Don’t you wish you’d been around on 12/12/12 of the 12th century? Just Google it.

In any case, this sort of convenient, coincidental but easy to plan for date doesn’t happen often—this particular series won’t occur again for a hundred years, when the great-great-grandson of the last official member of the tea party goes to his grave, whispering “no new taxes.”

For some, it is also a date in the Mayan calendar, and some people believe that this date, or Dec. 21, will signal the end of all things, or in the very least, no new taxes, and a new hairdo for Miley Cyrus. Dramatic things could occur tomorrow including: the end.

As it is, we’re heading over the cliff, or so it seems, although rumors abound that a deal is in the making, that the key people in the negotiations are having lunch, holding secret meetings that are apparently not secret, and, you know, joy to the world, don’t you worry about a thing, even if it ain’t got that swing.

Tomorrow will see the most significant rock concert in quite a while-the Concert for Sandy Relief, by which New Jersey rock stars Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and (Gov.) Chris Christie will show up with a few of their friends like Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the wonderful Alicia Keyes, Stevie-Is It Any-Wonder, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, the Who less two original band members and a host of others, including Brian Williams—who will not sing— at Madison Square Garden. It could be the greatest rock concert ever—and also the last if we believe the people who believe the Mayans. It could be true: there is evidence of a recent archeological find of what are believe to be statues of Mayan or Aztec High Priests, one of whom resembles the current incarnation of Keith Richards, with of an inscription advising believers to go to higher ground. This could, of course, be a spiritual admonition, and certainly should not be taken as a sign to get high.

Be that as it may, it seems 12-12-12 is an encouraging date for wedding planners, who have indicated that it’s a day many more people than usual decided to get married. Possibly, it’s because it’s a day easy to remember which means you cannot ever, ever forget your anniversary.

Oh, happy day, then, tomorrow for brides, grooms and bridesmaids and the makers of “Bridesmaids II” which is bound to happen. Or maybe not, if we go over the cliff, or, if per the Mayan believers, the cliff goes over us. What a honeymoon.
Now how does all this play out in the ongoing cliff debate and the politics of the day.

Well, let’s see:
Dateline—12/12/12. The White House phone is ringing. No answer. The president’s hot line is ringing. No answer. Eric Cantor’s phone is ringing. No answer. Nancy Pelosi’s phone is ringing. No answer. Grover Norquist’s phone is ringing. Taylor Swift’s phone is ringing, and gets only a recording setting out the rules for any future boyfriend. No answer, not even a dial tone. It’s as if the rapture has already begun.

House Speaker John Boehner leaves a message: “Hey, where is everyone? I’m really starting to worry. We’re going over the cliff, if we don’t do something. I’ll do anything. I’ll even raise taxes on Trump … and be glad to do it. You’re fired, my butt. But hey, seriously. Where are you guys? What’s happened? Somebody locked the door to my office, and I can’t get out. What the hell is happening? Somebody call me, please.”

At the White House, President Barack Obama, Eric Cantor, Nancy Pelosi, all the Republican tea party members, the Democratic as well as Republican senators, and Grover Norquist and Taylor Swift are listening to the message. They are all laughing their heads off. “I can’t believe he bought it,” Cantor says. “That was the deal,” the president says. “I’m glad you guys finally agreed. Let’s get this done.” “You mean, you don’t really want us to raise taxes on the rich, right?” Norquist says. “The hell I don’t,” the president says. “You all agreed and you signed the legislation.” Norquist and the rest hem and haw and start to argue.

“That’s it,” the president says. “I’m out of here. Do you want to go to the Sandy concert or not?” They all agree and sign the agreement, which even has a name called The Screwtape Agreement.

They all head out the door. The building starts to shake a little. “What’s that noise?” they all ask.
It’s 12/12/12.

Prepare for the Galactic Alignment.

David Post •

Suppose you owed $15,000 and earned $15,000. (Multiply those figures by a billion, and that’s almost what the US economy looks like.) In two weeks, your loan payments are going to increase, and your salary is going down.
That’s a personal fiscal cliff – less income, more expenses.

In federal government budget speak, the fiscal cliff is about taxes going up and spending going down at the same time. Unless something is done to stop it, this will happen in the U.S. on New Year’s Day.

How did this happen?

Twelve years ago, the U.S. economy was generating surpluses – more revenue than spending – for “as far as the eye could see.” In 2001, President George W. Bush pushed a tax cut through Congress that was set to expire in ten years. Why expire? Because a ten year tax cut “costs” less than a permanent tax cut. The ten-year cost was $4 trillion. A permanent tax cut would have cost a lot more. It was the largest tax cut ever. Government revenues decreased. Not until 2006 did income tax revenues catch up to what they were in 2000.

Then, the world changed. The country entered two wars that have cost $1.5 trillion. Congress also expanded Medicare to pay for medications for seniors, another $1 trillion.

The Great Recession that began in 2008 was costly. The Bush bank bailouts cost $800 billion, the Obama stimulus mostly to state and local governments facing massive tax decreases cost another $800 billion, and recession driven unemployment and other safety net costs increased $500. Revenues also declined. Tax receipts declined more than $1 trillion compared to 2007. In fact, in 2012 tax revenues were still lower than they were in 2007.

In 2010, because of the fragile economic recovery, the Bush tax cuts were extended for along with a new payroll tax cut. Price tag for two years: $1 trillion.

The total: $6.5 trillion. A lot of money to be repaid when income tax revenues are only $1.1 trillion per year.

In 2011, Congress imposed a “sequester” automatically cutting $1.2 trillion in spending over the next ten years beginning Jan. 1, 2013. Congress thought it would replace that with a better plan within a year, but it couldn’t.

When New Years 2013 arrives, the Bush tax cuts expire taxes and the sequester spending cuts kick in. $500 billion more revenue. $100 billion less spending. That’s the cliff.

That was the plan, but, now, no one wants it.

Economists say that raising taxes and reducing spending – the ways to resolve the deficit and the debt – that much in one year may cause a recession because 70% of the economy is consumer spending, and people will have less to spend.

Democrats and Republicans agree that the deficit must be reduced by $4 trillion over the next ten years. They don’t agree how to do that. Since doing some now and more later hurts less, that’s what will happen. Taxes will increase a little on the rich and spending cuts will be reduced.

Like pulling off a band-aid slowly, this is going to be painful for a long time.

Georgetowner • December 6, 2012

Christmas. . .in Georgetown. . .in Washington. The town is beginning to look a lot like that.

Georgetown’s business street lamps are decked out in greens and gold trees with the centerpiece of the Georgetown Business Improvement District’s effort to brighten up at the center of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, an ornament with bows floating above the traffic. The silver trees shine at the eastern and western edges of our town.

The new ice skating rink at Washington Harbour is attracting large crowds to the waterfront, a place not normally filled with visitors in wintertime. Everyone there, restaurants and management company, worked together to make a complex beset by a flood more than a year ago into a greeting, meeting and eating space where people want to go. The restaurants are offering seasonal specials. Order a dish you’ve never eaten before.

The stores are becoming busy with customers checking their lists or looking for something unexpected or unique. Managers of new shops and old favorites hope they linger here and buy. Shop at a place you’ve not stopped at before. Buy an impractical gift.

The churches of Georgetown have begun the advent season and are filled with musical programs to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Temples are ready to light the menorahs to celebrate freedom from oppression and the grace of the Lord. It is the reason for the season in the first place.

The homes of this old town are receiving their Christmas trees, many bought from local non-profits and church sales.

Residents are gearing up for parties, whether with friends, business colleagues, charities or just fun. The Christmas tree lightings at the Capitol and the Ellipse are happening. Families have a few weeks before their winter break trips, just as the first family is set for Hawaii.

Take time to take it all in. We live in a special place. Walk through your town and your city, and see the world refreshed by the joys and wishes of this season.

Georgetowner •

How long has it been since the 2012 Election? Two weeks, a month, a year, an eternity?

It feels as if the election isn’t really over. Remember all those debates, including the one that President Barack Obama snoozed through? Remember—try, try real hard—to remember what was actually discussed or settled?

Neither do we. At least, not so much.

In foreign affairs, it’s not so much that there’s nothing happening. Israel almost invad- ed Gaza before the President of Egypt helped negotiate a very tentative truce between Israel and Hamas, the warring factions which were hurling missiles at each other for days. Over a hundred Palestinians lost their lives and only a few Israelis. Hamas and its allies fired guns into the air as if it was TGIF day on their strip. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi used the occasion of getting some international accolades to make a bold sort of I-am-king power grab, over-riding judicial authorities. Thousand of opponents rushed into the streets. Morsi insisted the powers were temporary, which is dictator-speak for “Once I get the power, I’m not giving it back.”

In Syria, the government at one point shut down the Internet. Hundreds more have died as the conflict continued, with rumors that President Assad might be contemplating using chemical weapons.

In Afghanistan, the war continued apace.

Israel announced plans for further settle- ments in the West Bank, in the aftermath of a United Nations vote that gave nominal, non- voting and symbolic recognition and status to a so-called Palestinian state. As of press time, the truce is still holding.

Meanwhile, our president has taken a look around and seems to think he can get a permanent tax cut for the middle class as well as a tax increase on the wealthy without giving up too much. The Republicans are still peddling tax reform, closing loopholes and the like, as a way of actual revenue increases. While rumor has it that that some progress has occurred this week, if those are the talking points it’s going to be a bleak Christmas in Washington.

We are not economic or national budgetary experts, but we can stick our thumb into the air with everyone else. Here’s the deal: we think that the election results, while not conclusive, did suggest that Americans want to see taxes raised on the wealthy, and they’re in agreement with the president on that. What citizens are not in agreement with is both sides still playing political games with the going-over-the-cliff issue. Most Americans think that the cliff option is not an option. It would bring disaster not only to the economy as a whole—that big picture thing—but immediate and dramatic impacts on individual American wallets in the form of $2,000 plus for the folks who can least afford it, that fabled middle class or below, we the American people. Some of the folks on Capitol Hill are talking almost casually about letting the cliff option happen which should require some remedial tarring and feathering. Tea partiers are standing steadfast shoulder-to-shoulder with Grover “No New Taxes Unto Death” Norquist. Two of them managed to get kicked off the House budget meeting because they failed to vote for Paul Ryan’s budget plan as they believed it wasn’t conservative enough.

Television stations here have taken to running a clock ticking—x amount of weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds—to cliff time. This lets them run constant cliff stories, how much “average” American would pay in more taxes and so on, all of it dreadfully depressing to hear. None of them—anchors, reporters and pundits—ever say how much they would have to pay and what loopholes would close for them, something we’d love to know before they start once again to fulminate about the fairness of this plan or that plan.

There is no way to make the two parties—the president and Congress—to actually sit down and negotiate non-stop until they’ve got a deal or lose control of their bowels. But we are guessing most of us are tired of this dilly dallying, this refusal to back down. There is nothing to win here except our good will of which there is precious little left. We the people, we suspect, are running on fumes. We’re close to out of patience. We’re close to out of money. So, forget that silly phrase consumer confidence. We’re close to out of hope.

If these guys—Democrats and Republicans, alike—go home for Christmas they will have abdicated their responsibilities for political gain, for ideological fanaticism masquerading as principles, or just plain stubborn idiocy.

If that happens, if we go over the cliff, we have a two-party system, the party of the lemmings and the party of the lemons, impossible to tell apart. They should be forced to show evidence that having embarked on a journey over the cliff that they can fly, as least as well as pigs.

If they can’t, then we should lock all the doors to all the congressional buildings and government offices and never let them return.?