If Only it Were Just Air Traffic

Last week Congress did something truly extraordinary. They listened to the will of the American people and undid one of their narrow-minded mistakes, allowing federal funds to once again flow to air traffic controllers so that furloughs didn't delay air travel. I myself was a victim of delays caused by the sequester just over a week ago, and let me tell you, it was maddening to sit around for four hours because our politicians are vapid.

Nonetheless, the delays in air travel are now a thing of the past. Someway, somehow, our elected officials listened to the American people and fixed the problem. Granted, it was a problem they created, and it never should have happened in the first place, but let's focus on the good; they fixed it! America spoke, and politicians listened. Democracy!

If only air travel delays were the only problem our nation faced. There really isn't a silver lining here. The truth is, our politicians were so woefully shortsighted that they created a deal so bad that they weren't supposed to be able to stomach it, and then much to the nation's detriment, they stomached it. Delays at the airport were only going to be one consequence from the get go, things are probably going to get worse. What America needs is thoughtful stimulus and investment now coupled with serious cuts and changes to entitlement reforms later. What we got were delays at the airport.

The misinformation circulating about our fiscal situation is making real work nearly impossible to do. As long as we continue to live in a fantasy world where the deficit is an issue now and unemployment and recovery are not to be addressed, we will ultimately only be digging ourselves a deeper and deeper hole. Delays at the airport may be frustrating, but we're now in year five of a pitifully slow economic recovery that could and should have gained momentum years ago if only we had done what we know we must do. The frustration among Americans is no doubt reaching a boiling point, but we are shackled by lies, misinformation, and a severe allergy to facts and data.

If only our nation's problems were confined to air traffic delays, we'd be sitting pretty. Alas, air traffic delays were a self-imposed two week nuisance. Do we have what it takes to solve our real problems?