This week Congress convenes again for the last time, in what is called a lame duck session, to take care of this years last details before the new Congress takes over in January. One of the more important items to be debated and voted on are the Bush Tax Cuts which are set to expire in 2011. Now, I have 2 issues with this “lame duck session” and neither really have anything to do with whether some, all or none of the Bush Tax Cuts should me extended or made permanent.

My first issue is the whole lame duck session” concept. According to Wikipedia:

A "lame duck" session of Congress in the United States occurs whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected, but before the successor's term begins.

Can’t get any more basic than that. But what I don’t like is how this session is used, and basically, misused. There is so much talk about Congressmen and Senators who will basically throw out the window any concept of “doing the right thing” and simply vote against the opposing party simply because they will not be here next term so they don’t have to worry about the consequences of their votes. One would think a person such as a politician, who is given the responsibility to put forward the needs and wants of their constituents, would do their job till the end (I know, in our dreams or in a  perfect world) but it seems that corruption often wins and they play their political games simply to deal a blow (even a small one) to the opposing party.

To be perfectly honest, considering most if not all politicians are corrupted almost by definition, one would still hope they would do their jobs till the end which is to serve their constituents and not be a bunch of crybaby, sore losers who would screw everyone they could just because they got voted out of office. I think it’s a shame our society has allowed this Gov’t to reach such a point and it’s even more of a shame when some people see this as the norm simply because it’s been done for so long they don’t believe it can be changed. Makes me wonder why we do elections at all if that’s the case.

My other issue is with this whole notion that somehow people who make $1 million or more (rich people) are somehow different. Why do I say this? Every time I see a debate on whether the tax cuts for the “rich” should be kept, extended, made permanent or eliminated all together I always see this subtle hint that somehow they are different from everyone else, as if they become a separate, evil part of our society. It’s kind strange how people who are citizens of this great nation and who have more money than the average person is somehow seen as bad and not equals yet those who are not citizens, who enter this country illegally, who commit acts of terrorism within our borders, are seen as having the same rights as the rest of us.

Why should people who make more money somehow be the exception just because they have more than the average. I thought they were Americans too. When it was written in the Constitution “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”, did our forefathers assume that rich people would somehow be the exception?

This argument is not about whether rich people should keep these tax cuts or not; this argument is about how rich people are somehow being treated as if they were different, simply because they have more money than the average. It’s interesting to see this considering for decades we have fought to eliminate the idea of people being treated differently just because they are different in someway; race, sex, etc. And yet here we are once again creating a separation in our society based on income. It’s ironic considering what makes this country so great, what makes this country so desirable to foreigners, what the words above found in the Constitution that grants the citizens on this nation “unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”; all this also knows as “The American Dream” is what everyone basically hopes to achieve; it’s sad to see that achieving this means you become the target of the hatred and dislike of those who could not achieve it and of those who claim to fight for them. And the you are expected to give up this money you worked so hard for just because, for some reason, someone thinks you don’t need it since you have more than enough.

I can’t deny every time I see people who own beautiful, huge homes, drive fancy cars and own just about every electronic gadget I can only dream of ever touching, I get a bit jealous; but it does not encourage me to hate them for it and demand I get a piece of their pie. Instead I am encouraged to seek and attempt to grab my own American Dream. To me they are Americans, just like me and just like there are soldiers giving their lives for all of us equally I believe rich people should be treated as equals and not like they are another, separate part of our society.

I don’t currently have an opinion on whether any of the Bush Era taxes should stay or go since I don’t fully understand them enough to have a real opinion although I know if they all go I won’t get the usual amount of money I get every year on my tax refund. Personally I think not having to pay more in taxes to a Gov’t that does not know how to spend it properly is a good thing so if keeping them from expiring will do this than so be it. Lame duck session is probably the most accurate name for this, because these current politicians from both sides are lame.