Incremental Bipartisanship

“Bipartisanship” in Washington over the last 30 years has undone much of the consumer, financial, civil rights and environmental protection for middle class Americans. As a life-long Democrat, I have listened to Democrat politicians preach bipartisan incremental change for the last 50 years.

Black and Hispanic Americans have been told by Democrats to be patient -- their time will come.

Working class Americans have been told by Democrats to be patient -- you can’t simply raise the minimum wage to a living wage because it will stifle the economy.

Americans who can’t afford their prescriptions are told by Democrats to be patient – we’re working on it.

Victims of structural racism are told by Democrats to be patient -- it will take time to reform law enforcement and lending practices.

People worried about the environment have been told by Democrats to be patient -- you can’t change everything at once.

All the while, Republican leaders in Washington have come right out and stated that Democratic programs are going nowhere.

Where is the bipartisanship? It feels more like capitulation to me.

Corporate-supported Democrat and Republican collaboration has dragged the middle far to the right. As long as Democrats subscribe to incremental bipartisanship, they’re not acting in the best interest of their constituents. They’re protecting the interests of their donors, and the middle class is losing ground.

As long as the filibuster is allowed to continue, there will be no real bipartisanship. As long as there are several times as many lobbyists in the Capitol building as there are Senators and Representatives, there will be no real bipartisanship. And the American people will have to wait for change.

Jetsam

Day by day,
week by week,
month by month,
they float away from me;
all the things that have
seemed so important
in my life are slowly
losing importance.
First my colleagues,
then my profession,
my sexuality,
my passion
and my pride.

Each day that goes by,
my interest in my art
and my writing fades
with the realization
that none of them
will matter on the day
after I leave this world.

The knowledge I gathered
and the skills I acquired
during my brief time here:
the differences between Goudy and Garamond,
the value of contrast in graphic design,
how to repack and adjust wheel bearings on an car,
the right way to hold dagger brush to paint a smooth pin stripe,
how to compose a good photograph,
or how to synchronize dual SU carburetors.

All arcane information and skills
of no use to anyone but me.