Certainly, we need to prioritize programs and expenditures. But to direct the cuts at the most vulnerable members of society who don’t have political clout to find their funds from other government resources is amoral at the least, and in fact, immoral and unethical.

If we have a shut down in our government and Social Security checks are held up, what do you suppose that will do for our local long term care facilities? Do you have any idea how many people are dependent upon their Social Security benefit and other assistance to pay for their care? How many families do we have who can subsidize mom, dad, brother, or sister, even temporarily, when their lifetime savings have been depleted, to the tune of $40,000 or more, per year, in resident fees? How much clout do the individuals or their families have to be able to find other programs to wrangle those funds from? And, do you honestly think those people receiving assistance are living in luxury? I don’t think we have any ‘welfare queens’ or able bodied bums getting free room and board in those facilities.

I can survive a few weeks delay in my Social Security check, but there are millions who depend on that check being there on time or they can’t buy groceries, buy medicine, pay rent, etc. Will the folks living in gated communities have any trouble covering their wages for maids, yard men, chauffeurs, or guards, if the government temporarily shuts down? Will the lights go out in the White House? Will the pentagon and both houses of congress close down and lock their doors? Government shut down over budget arguments is only an inconvenience for some, but total frustration and hardship for those who have no political clout.

I’m not so sure that Thomas County and the City of Colby, here in Kansas, hasn’t benefited from federal and state grants in excess of federal and state revenue paid in. The second interchange for I-70, the removal of the overpass on Highway 25, community college grants and assistance, disaster relief on township and county roads, the list can go on and on. Benefactors of those programs have political clout. The transportation infrastructure and education facilities benefit people out side of our local area. There are definite financial benefits to local businesses. Do you think the single mom (for what ever the reason of her single status) with 3 or 4 children benefited greatly from the elimination of the perceived bottle neck in traffic due to the overpass on Highway 25?

In Kansas, social rehabilitation services for our neighbors is extremely vulnerable to the budget cuts being proposed, or demanded. How much political clout do you suppose the beneficiaries have? Head start, free breakfast, lunch ticket assistance, in our schools, benefit those with the least political clout. Medicaid, help with utilities, subsidized housing, etc. are vital areas of assistance to the less affluent and politically powerful members of society.

We hear all this talk about the majority needing to compromise with the minorities. My observations have been that the minority in our government aren’t talking compromise. They are demanding their way or no way. We had Democratic control of both houses and the administration. The minority refused compromise and held up legislation until their demands were met. That’s what gave us the health care bill. The Republicans, although they have a majority in the House, are still the minority in the Federal government. They seem to have no intention of compromise on budget cuts and income tax measures. They threaten shut down if their demands are not met. Don’t think for a minute that shut down will effect evenly across the board. Neither will their budget cuts and tax reforms effect evenly across the board.

The immediate beneficiaries of their budget cuts and taxing agenda are not the middle and lower income segment of our society, who, by the way, are the vast majority of our population. In fact, the conservative Republican and Tea Party program shifts the tax burden onto the lower income families and eliminates the programs that provide basic needs and freedom of the poorest of society.

Perhaps, we need to forget our partisan political loyalties and start evaluating who we are and what our responsibilities are to our fellow human beings.