WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.Editorial: S&P Downgrade

Editorial: S&P Downgrade

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  • Friday, May 18 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-18 23:20:53 GMT
    If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident. The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are
    If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident.  The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are the other motorists on the roadways.

  • Tuesday, May 15 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-15 23:20:31 GMT
    On our editorial suggesting that the governor raise taxes to fund Medicaid, we received these comments: "If the budget is passed at this severely cut rate, the shortage of physicians, hospitals, and clinics
    On our editorial suggesting that the governor raise taxes to fund Medicaid, we received these comments:

  • Tuesday, May 1 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-01 23:20:35 GMT
    If your commute includes I-85 in the mornings I'm sure you've noticed men alongside the roadways picking up trash and road debris and thought to yourself "who would want to do that?"
    If your commute includes I-85 in the mornings I'm sure you've noticed men alongside the roadways picking up trash and road debris and thought to yourself "who would want to do that?"

  • Friday, April 20 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-04-20 23:20:42 GMT
    For the next sixty seconds I want you to give yourself permission to push pause on whatever you are doing and listen and reflect for a moment. I did this recently after reading an article titled "Top five

  • Wednesday, April 18 2012 7:27 PM EDT2012-04-18 23:27:31 GMT
    Representative Christopher John England (Tuscaloosa) has sponsored a bill in the Alabama legislature that would allow convicted felons of drug crimes to receive food stamps under certain circumstances.
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

Drastic times call for drastic measures and last week Standard & Poor's took the unprecedented step in lowering the rating on U.S. Government debt from AAA to AA+ - a first in our nation's history.

They issued many comments in their announcement but one put an explanation point on their decision and I quote "The downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned …"

Bottom line – our policy makers in Washington did not come up with a sound plan in timely fashion to once and for all attack our growing deficit and out of control spending.  The S&P called them on it, Wall-Street called them on it and we Americans are calling them on it.  Mom once told me the easiest and least painful way to remove a band-aid is quickly and all at once.  This step by step debt reduction plan by committee is prolonging the inevitable. 

We today urge the Alabama Congressional delegation to make the tough but correct decisions regarding our economy.   Stop spending money we don't have, end wasteful programs, and put a sound fiscal policy in place.  You do that and we can turn this negative into a positive. 

We appreciate your feedback.

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