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Sequestration is a Symptom

It be called, "sequestration".  Congress could not come to an agreement about anything; not even that Congress itself ought to be sequestered:  hidden away.  

Then the gentle-men and hardy-women in Congress came upon a splendid plan:  "Since," they admitted, "we cannot agree on a budget, let us dig a trap in the road up here.  Let us agree that if we do not come to our senses about a budget, we will just cut almost everything 40%.  That is so dumb that even we will have to do something!"

They were wrong.  It was not stupid enough to get their attention.  Almost everything has to be cut 40%.

Then, incredibly, something stupid happened.  Congress got what it had planned.  Now every time we have a wildfire, or it is time to open a park gate, some dumb public employee says that they are short of money.  "What do you mean, 'short of money'?", Congress asks.  "Whose dumb idea was that?"

"The President is to blame!", they shout.  "This sequestration nonsense is stupid!"

It does appear to be so.  But it is the very best idea Congress could come up with.  

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