HOUSTON----WE HAVE A REALLY BIG PROBLEM---

So----we have lift-off, Houston.  The debt crisis debate is over---or is it?  We lifted, temporarily at least, the threat of economic disaster by raising the debt limit at the very last possible moment---and with a grand display of  "give a little, get a little" Washington politics.  Problem is, most people would agree nobody got very much out of this deal, considering the magnitude of the problem. After all the smoke cleared, and the congressman stopped congratulating each other, we now have a 14.3 trillion dollar debt. The debt ceiling has been  raised by 2.4 trillion predicated upon promised spending cuts of 917 billion over ten years, with another 1.5 trillion in cuts proposed before the end of the year.  To ensure all this works as planned, there will a panel of 12, now being tagged  the "Super committee" or "The Dirty Dozen", bi-partisan ( is there such an animal?) members of congress to oversee this two stage plan and instigate the cuts.  If they cannot accomplish enough cuts , a "trigger" will automatically kick in --- especially targeted will be domestic entitlement programs, --- and the military budget. Either way, the debt ceiling will increase, and at this point in time, without a balanced budget amendment.

So, who won this  very contentious battle of spending vs. cuts vs. taxes?  Some say the Democrats, but many of them are not happy with the present agreement not to at least tax the rich; others say the Republicans won, but there are plenty of them who fear they will lose when President Obama goes after taxes if nobody can agree on where the cuts are going to come from---and do we really believe that won't happen?  And then there is the Tea Party, who the media tried to portray as winners,insisting that the Republicans stand  staunchly against taxes---but they are not happy either, still feeling that the debt increase was way too much for far too little, and the spectre of future tax hikes haunts them, as the choices for cuts narrow down to the military and possibly medicare.  It appears the final solution was far from final---and only the beginning of another battle, come fall when the Super 12 must decide for the country what's best in terms of cuts.  For now, we can breathe a little easier, having averted a government shut-down---but it's only a reprieve, with much more bickering to come.

If the stock market is any indication, our staggering economy and the public were not comforted or encouraged by the latent and compromised vote on the debt crisis. The market plummeted one day this week by 500 points, and though not the worst in history, it wasn't a good sign.  It knows, as do most folks, instinctively,  that something doesn't smell right, doesn't feel right, and probably isn't alright---more likely the vote last Tuesday was pathetically only a political manuever, designed to pacify, appease, and procrastinate, with much of it driven by election concerns. Like a  bad cold, which we treat with aspirin to ease the discomfort, the  national debt has not gone away, and the economy continues to show very little recovery.  There is much uncertainty as we look away from the cliff we were supposedly about to tumble over, and into the eyes of the elephant still in the room.

Where and to whom do we look for comfort and guidance---certainly not to Europe, who seems to be screaming at us to learn from their mistakes? President Obama?  Many think the honeymoon  is over for this man, who while he managed to stay above the congressional "sausage making" , did little to guide or offer alternative ideas. He came off looking like "Johnny one note"--tax, tax, tax the rich. However, he may have won more than it appears---it looks at first glance that he caved on this issue, but look again--- he knows he holds the final cards when and if the approved cuts do not do enough to trim the budget or encompass the type of cuts he approves.  Furthermore, his costly health care plan miraculously escaped so far, unscathed, even though it is going to contribute heavily to the budget expense, as it attempts to provide insurance for all.   He seems unable to raise our spirits, having cast his lot time and again with his political agendas and ambitions, leaving the rest of us, without much reason for hope or optimism. "Things will get better", he said this week---but his words ring hollow, as though he himself doesn't believe it.  "Hope and change"? What we need is stability. At a recent 50th birthday celebration for the president this week, Obama claimed that he had not promised over night change----and that he was only half way through with the changes he hopes to make for this country----bold statements coming from a president who seems out of touch with a country who is on its knees as the result of too much change, seemingly over night.

Summarily, one could conclude "there is little joy in mudville"  this week as we worry and wonder what's next.  And how about the vulnerability of our military budget which is up for at least one half of the proposed cuts?  Are we willing to risk our security? Will medicare eventually be affected? Are higher taxes for all only a matter of time? These questions have not disappeared and will be dealt with again and again---until we manage to do something besides print more money. But at least, for now, we're still here, and regardless that Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Russia, dares to call us "parasites", living off other countries, we're not down yet.  There may have been a bit of truth in that statement, but the contempt and disrespect was palpable, personal, and a slap in the face to a country that has been known to help so many others in their hour of need, including Russia.  It is time to get our house in order. The debt crisis ended this week, but perhaps it has just begun and has served to awaken the people of this country--- because, if nothing else, we now know, "Houston, we have a problem"----pray that we'll stay alert and keep chipping away at it, until we get it right.

As these last lines are being written, word comes that for the first time in history, the United States credit rating has been down graded.  Uh---Houston, are you there? SOS!! Wait----haven't we shut down the space program? OMG---make that, literally, OMG----