The nation faces a fiscal cliff due to expiration of Bush-era tax cuts and sequestration. The Bush tax cut extension is held up due to an issue of increasing taxes on those who make more than $250,000 per year.

Sequestration was part of a deal made by President Barack Obama, Republican House leader John Boehner and Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid. Rather than make hard fiscal decisions, their brilliant idea was to have a committee of Democrats and Republicans agree on how to balance the budget and, if not, institute mandatory budget cuts of $55 billion in domestic programs and $55 billion from defense.

Surprise, surprise. The committee could not reach agreement and sequestration will take effect if Congress and the president do not act soon.

Initially, I was against the sequestration cuts, but now I realize that may be the only way there will ever be any federal spending cuts. People who have had credit card issues realize that to get out of debt they must stop spending more than they take in. But, does anyone believe the elected representatives will ever reduce government spending, close tax loopholes, slow the entitlement growth, reduce foreign aid, simplify the tax codes or eliminate any waste, fraud and abuse?

I don’t think so.

But more perplexing is why voters continue to re-elect the same politicians who got the nation into this mess and believe they will get the nation out of it.

Taxes will increase, along with more party bickering and the continuing congressional ineptness.

James Thompson, Lisbon