It’s not about a wall

I’m disgusted with every federal elected official. Have I paid taxes for 50 years so my government can decide to shut down — and be proud of it? Is it why I defended the Constitution for almost 30 years? Are our elected officials well and faithfully discharging their duties as they pledged? No!

As a citizen, I expect my government, of, by and for the people, to improve our lives. That is no longer the case. Our government is populated by spineless toadies with big egos driven by big contributors. Sustaining their anointed status is more important than the welfare of the people. If our current politicians were in military service, I would court-martial every one of them for dereliction of duty: the duty to ensure that our government functions effectively.

During my military career, in the field, officers and commanders were always last in the chow line. Why? It was a subtle gesture, perhaps, but it reminded all of us who did the heavy lifting: the soldiers. Although feigning indifference, the soldiers always noticed. Unfortunately, we have enabled a generation of legislators and executives who fight over their perceived right to be first dining at the Washington, D.C., pig trough, at the expense of Americans writ large. They have forgotten for whom they work.

The issue is not a wall. It is more fundamental. Our elected officials do not feel the pain they are causing across the nation. They go out of session for holiday vacations, their sycophant staff remains on the payroll and they pontificate about their concerns -- pandering to their perceived support bases. Their conduct is unethical, self-serving and contrary to every expectation of “we the people.”

Do you want bipartisan debate and a swift resolution? Leadership could gavel Congress into continuous session pending resolution. To incentivize them, furlough every congressional and White House staffer, without the possibility of recouping back pay, until the government is fully open. Unfortunately, the leadership required is sadly lacking throughout the legislative and executive branches.

I don’t know if a wall is required or what it should cost. Frankly, I don’t care. Those with the information should negotiate a rational way forward. But I do know that shutting down a major portion of the government while the blowhards fight it out is flat wrong. The damage our government is causing to federal employees, those dependent on federal programs and services, businesses and individuals, is impossible to calculate. America, the supposed leader of the free world, is rightly viewed as a global idiot.

I hope reasonable members of Congress pass legislation to reopen the government now. If the Republican leadership in the Senate refuses to allow votes on bills to do so, they need to be impeached or replaced. If the president vetoes legislation to keep the government open, Congress must call his bluff with a bipartisan majority sufficient to override any veto. The time to stop playing politics and do what is right, makes sense and is in the best interest of all Americans, is now.

To prevent recurrence, how about a comprehensive anti-shutdown bill to motivate the next generation of legislators? We could suspend the pay for all legislators or, better yet, freeze their assets, and those of the party national committees, until the shutdown ends. Or maybe we could institute a mandatory tax rebate to all Americans for the period of the shutdown, with the bill paid by automatic reductions in the White House and Congressional budgets for the following year. Maybe, just maybe, they would feel the pain the rest of us are feeling.

I — and, I hope, the millions of Americans impacted by the shutdown, will not forget who is responsible for the foolishness in Washington, D.C. It is not just the president, but every federally elected official who cannot or won’t fix it. Collectively, they don’t deserve our support. Their inability to resolve the current crisis indicates stupidity, self-interest or ineffective job performance. It is time to throw the bums out - all of them.

Dan Bonney, of Eagle River, retired from the active Army after 28 years. He says he understands the concepts of duty and selfless service that elude our elected officials, and was always last in the chow line.

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