Sequestration will hurt a lot of us around here, me included, but you know what, enough is enough. Let it happen.

Here's the latest.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/na...

Sequestration was designed to kick in if our elected representatives didn't acquire the guts to deal with the problem head-on and take responsibility for selling it to their consituency. It appears that nobody wants to say that tough choices have to be made and that "sacred cows" must be sacrificed - and identify exactly WHAT must be cut and by HOW MUCH.

Up to now, I see no guts, no responsibility, just business as usual. That won't get it done. I agree with golfy: let it happen.

I hope it happens this time. I'm with you golfnut, it will hurt. I'd rather feel the pain than my grandchildren.

Maybe it will also have the effect of getting Liberty County to diversify and not depend so much on the military. I am not anti-military but one shouldn't put all one's eggs in the same basket.

It needs to happen. Our credit rating has already been downgraded one time.

I suspect that if we don't let sequestration kick in and do what our Congress has repeatedly failed to do then the credit rating will be downgraded again.

The FDIC is already set to downgrade the amount of coverage for deposits this coming Jan 1.

We are already well into a dangerous slide economically and if Obama keeps his course and refuses to reach across the aisle it will take several generations to get back to where we were a few years ago.

This is the most dangerous President we've ever had.

The president continues to conduct demographic specific to continue to make sure that if Sequestor happens it is not his fault. What am I missing? Oh that right, immigration is more of a priorty...To top that off, did anyone see Joe layout his gun control platform? and I quote" Buy a shotgun and go outside and fire into the air to scare away the intrude. Yet another administration issue that is going to get all messed up. I digress, Sequestor, bring it on and lets get done waht has to be done. Sebe was right as both sides will not risk making the big decsions it will take to get our country on track.

I saw's Joe's solution. It never ceases to amaze me how he goes off but the media gives him a pass. I guess it's a tradition that nobody takes the Vice President of the United States seriously, but after all the guy IS "a heartbeat away from the Presidency."

The "scare tactics" always get cranked up when push finally comes to shove. The latest I saw was that the Pentagon plans to furlough their entire 800,000 civilian workforce one day a week beginning in April through 30 September:

http://www.stripes.com/defense-depart...

Adopting Simpson-Bowles beginning in 2011 would have saved us this "crisis," and would have permitted the necessary cuts/sacrifice to be gradually eased in so as to minimize any "devastation." Everybody would have felt it, but it wouldn't have been "cold turkey" like this sequestration. Of course, Obama would have to have taken ownership of the problem and it would have been an election issue. This is the perfect example of the politicians putting their reelection above the needs of the country.

I'm still waiting for them to come up with another "creative way" to kick the can further down the road. I guess they decided that Trillion Dollar Platinum Coins was too goofy to pass the straight face test:

http://www.businessinsider.com/treasu...

Yep. I think it is going to happen also.
And it is going to hurt like Hades.

This is the most dangerous House of Representatives in U.S. history. They are held hostage by their own Tea Party Conservatives like Michelle Bachman.

Aw, Jimmy: They're just trying to stop the Democrats from spending us into another 16 trillion dollars worth of debt. Out-of-control government - unchecked - is more dangerous than the "checks and balances" our Founding Fathers built into the system.

Like it or not, the Tea Party is "checking and balancing" the radical left elements tugging at the President and his administration. Without that tug, we'd be worse off than we currently are - if that's possible.

I respectfully disagree, Sebe. Boehner came back with a proposal that HE thought his fellow Republicans could swallow without alienating their various constituencies and got his rear end handed to him by the right wing Tea Partiers. In essense, the Republican Party itself, along with the rest of the country is being held hostage by a plurality of right-wing conservatives.

When the dust clears and the lights of history are put on them, hopefully they will scatter like cockroaches and sanity can return to the Republican Party.

Right now they are kow-towing to Rand Paul and his ilk. They are a dangerous bunch. The Tea Partiers have laid down the gauntlet that dooms ANY attempt by Boehner and others to solve this thing with the President. It is the extremists within the GOP that is holding any agreement back.

I don't think congress is too worried about it if it happens.

http://news.yahoo.com/why-congress-pr...

For some government employees Sequestration has already started.

This Friday is the last day for 65 government employees just in the Headquarters Building on Fort Stewart.

Obama already got his tax increase in the last battle. it's time for government spending cuts.

up2: Yes - they make sure they CY their own A above all else. Everybody else can "sacrifice."

mountain/gacpl: In the old days during a "contraction" of the civilian workforce, they used to freeze hirings, then start termination/layoffs beginning with the most recent hirings and working their way back in time until they reached their manpower/funds "targets." I assume they're doing this now, along with their plan to reduce the work week from 5 to 4 paid days between April and September 30. Now we have "sequestration"; then it was called "drawdown" and evern further back "RIF" (reduction in force). Similar process except the sequestration forces the issue into a shorter period of time and consequently is more draconian.

But it was inevitable. The substantial increases DOD has seen since Gulf War I coupled with the deficit/debt made a big "peace dividend" only a matter of time.

As I said, if they would have implemented Simpson-Bowles in 2011 we could have softened the impact of the manpower reductions and budget cuts by extending the amount of time taken to implement them. Now we're stuck with this happening all at once.

I seriously doubt that the Republicans would have blocked Simpson-Bowles, as much of the plan comes directly from their input and fiscal philosophy. So I put the major "blame" for the way this is being implemented on the President and his administration. He didn't want to "own" the problem then; and he's trying to dodge the blame now.

I'll put up a blog in a few minutes which quotes a really good op-ed piece that makes the case for fixing the responsibility for where we are and where we're going on Mr. Obama.

....and speaking of Joltin' Joe: it turns out that his suggestions about shotguns were at the very least "ill-informed," and anybody who follows them may subject themselves to fines and jail time:

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2...

The horror stories start! Here's the fairy tale...

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2182885709...

Here's who to blame game...

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2176227213...

steps that are already being taken as a result of sequestration.

Hagel said the Navy will gradually stand down four air wings, 80 jets and helicopters, beginning in April.

Starting immediately the Air Force will reduce flying hours, having an impact on training and readiness.

The Army will curtail training for all units except for those deploying to Afghanistan, affecting about 80 percent of all Army operational units.

Notices go out later this month for thousands of civilian furloughs, reducing pay by 20 percent.

Steps already taken include a hiring freeze, terminating or laying off some contract employees, cutbacks in maintenance.

Hagel added, “I know these cuts will cause pain, particularly in our civilian workforce.” He added “I’m also concerned, as we all are, about the impact on readiness these cuts will have across our force.”