Republicans are prepared to vote against a funding bill for the military. They are also prepared to allow 300,000 teachers to lose their jobs across the nation. Interestingly, Democrats are also ready to vote against the military and teachers. Why? investment fund managers are targeting extender bills that would fund the military and save thousands of teachers’ jobs.
Iowa Democrat Sen. Tom Harkin told NPR “I have no Republicans who want to vote for it, they’d just as soon see 300,000 teachers laid off next year, I guess,” Harkin told NPR. In response, Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi told the station that deficit concerns trump all else and that students can make do in bigger classes. “There are measures available to state governors like increasing class size, like foregoing salary increases,” said Wicker.
I realize it is simple minded to suggest a simple fix – remove the lobbyists. This simple idea would actually allow politicians to act as civil servants rather than people who sell their votes to the highest bidder.