Carroll County Leaders Disappointed in Debt Limit Bill

In a series of emails with Patch, local leaders say there is little to like about the debt limit bill and they take Congress to task. 

Eldersburg resident Mark Wilson, president of the Carroll County Democratic Club, said that President Obama did the best job he could in avoiding a default. 

"The passage of the debt limit bill was a mixed blessing. On one hand, its passage was absolutely critical to the financial health and credit rating of our struggling and delicate economy. On the other hand, it required absolutely no sacrifice from those who can best afford it--those making over $250,000 a year, and corporations--and instead only had cuts from programs aiding those who can least afford it--the poor and the shrinking middle class.

I believe President Obama did the best he could, faced with an opposition who was quite willing to bring about a default to get their way, despite the fact that Rep. Boehner had always assured the President that Republicans would never do such a thing."

Westminster resident Michelle Jefferson, chair of We the People of Carroll County, said this proves that representatives in Washington are out of touch with what Americans need.

"Now that we've seen the details of this deal we see once again how
the elite in D.C. just don't get it. Although there are some actual cuts, they're merely a drop in the bucket of debt.

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard members of Congress and the vice president refer to Americans as terrorists and hostage takers. A message to cut spending was sent in last year's election with the freshmen who did their best to hold the line and to demonize those congressional freshmen is a direct demonization of the American people who sent them there.

This exercise was nothing more than a charade. I say we withhold their paychecks and the paychecks of their staff until they get it right--maybe then they'd understand shared sacrifice."

David Iacono of Westminster is a frequent voice on the Carroll County Democratic Committee Facebook page, although he considers himself an Independent. He said the debt ceiling bill is a bad deal for most Americans.

"The debt ceiling deal was a bad deal for the American people especially the middle class and poor. The Tea Party Republicans held the nation's economic survival hostage while the president negotiated with the hostage takers and paid the ransom. Ordinary Americans will be hurt by this deal while the millionaires and billionaires that the Tea Party protects will contribute nothing to the nation's economic security.  The disparity between the wealthy and the rest of us continues to widen with this deal.

A few months from now, the Tea Party will once again hold the nation hostage to their demands or else destroy the country's economic survival. The president has set a horrible precedent of negotiating with hostage takers and economic terrorists and surrendering to their demands.  This seems to be the new way of getting your way in Washington instead of using reason and rational debate.  A sad state of affairs for the American people." 

On Aug. 2 President Obama signed a bill that will raise the federal debt limit and cut government spending. Had the bill not been passed, the United States would have gone into default, potentially upsetting the world economy.