Suresh Kulkarni

I used to wake up every morning thinking "we are all going to be okay." But these stressful last few weeks of reading about and watching the polarization amongst our leaders in Washington, I am not sure anymore.

Rather than solving our problems, Congress has become the problem. The credibility of our nation is now in question worldwide, and this is a real tragedy. America matured and grew over the years built on civility and compromise amongst leaders. But now we have a group that is willing to take us into fiscal disaster.

I met a University of Utah physician. He commented "It seems like we don't cure patients anymore. We take care of insurance and pharmaceutical companies."

Shortly thereafter, I read several articles in the Standard-Examiner:

I read with great interest Sen. Orrin Hatch's Viewpoint article, "Washington has attention deficit disorder" in the Nov. 12Standard-Examiner. When I read that "Congress has to change their big spending ways," I was ready to read a list of very specific items that Hatch would identify for reducing the deficit.

But I found that the entire article was the usual finger-pointing, blaming the Democrats and repealing the Health Care Act. It seems like all the Republican leaders chant the same "mantra" as if they have been attending a madrassa that teaches them to regurgitate the same phrases. Didn't they get the message from the last election? A) We want jobs. B) We want the two parties to work together to solve our problems. Every poll taken shows jobs is the single-most important issue for about 65 percent of the electorate. The wars, repealing of the Health Care Act, immigration reform, etc., are a distant second with about 5 percent each.

The Standard-Examiner Editorial Board took a bold stand in this conservative state on Aug. 19 by writing an "Our View" editorial titled "Obama is right on mosque." I am sure it was taken to task by many. And just below the editorial was one by Susan Skordos, a member of the editorial board, entitled "Going Muslim!" She described the interesting experience of her daughter shopping at Gateway wearing a Muslim veil.

When reasonable adults need to solve problems, they don't try to tear each other down. If only our leaders in Washington had learned that there is much they can achieve if they just reached out to each other in cooperation.

News reports are buzzing that immigration reform is on the horizon. Once again our leaders in Washington have the opportunity to work together to make this happen. The question is: will they again politicize an issue that is of immense importance to this country or do the right thing? Will they again pander to the lobbyists and self-interest groups or rise above the muck, educate us about what they are doing as to how reform will make our lives better, our country more secure and solve the multitude of issues that are entangled in this reform.

Just look at the disasters inflicted upon us by our legislators in Congress and the Senate! They represent corporate America because corporations and self-interest groups bankroll their elections. They supported elimination of rules and regulations on Wall Street, causing the biggest financial meltdown around the globe; supported the unnecessary invasion of Iraq, leading to many of our brave young people killed and maimed; and continue bickering and resisting coming together on just about any issue, which causes unrest and divisions in our society.