Time to govern

$6 Billion is one tally I’ve read when totaling up all of the dollars spent on this election. Seems like a whole lot of money spent to get a whole lot of the same. When it comes to the President and the US Congress, we get more partisan gridlock.

But maybe it’s not really the same. Judging by the tremendous amount of coverage Governor Christie and President Obama received following their joint tour of the devastation from hurricane Sandy, it appears that we are desperate for politicians to actually do the job they are hired to do – GOVERN.

Seeing two politicians from different political parties working together in response to a critical problem shouldn’t be so extraordinary that it changes the course of an election, but that seems to be where we find ourselves.

How can a large majority of U.S. citizens (64-72% depending on your favorite “biased” polling source) say they want Republicans and Democrats to work together and yet we continue to elect the same people that perpetuate the gridlock?

Both Governor Romney and President Obama talked on election night about the need to work across the aisle to find solutions to some rather large issues banging on America’s door. Here are a few:

• To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never been over a fiscal cliff, but it doesn’t sound like something one should do. We have to figure this one out now. No kicking the can to the next Congress.
• With a rapidly growing and active immigrant population, it is long past time for us to figure an immigration policy that is fair and enforceable.
• We need to have a national energy policy that is sustainable for generations to come. And how about that global climate change thing?
• Our tax system is a mess. Why can’t we have taxes that are fair and easy for all?

I don’t know what the solutions are or will be to these issues, but then again that’s not my job. I have a job, and it’s not that. We have senators and congress-people that apparently went back to work today, who we’ve hired to figure this stuff out. We elected them, we pay them – now they need to get to work.

So what can you, me, and every other American who is concerned about solving problems, do to make a difference?

One thing we can do is hold our politicians accountable for their actions, or their lack of actions. The first place to start is take 30 seconds right now, click on this link and tell your senators and representative to stop the bickering and get to work. Let them know that you expect them to do the job they were hired to do.

Tell them it’s Time to Govern.

Ever Onward,

Chris Hanson
The Fortunate Technologist & CEO of thedatabank, inc.