What this means is quite simple. The people making financial decisions have been failing to do so properly. Those people are, of course, the people that make up our Congress, specifically those in the House of Representatives, the group of people responsible for all government spending.

Logically, it would seem that just because a person is elected to office that they do not become financial geniuses simply by the Constitution giving them the responsibility for spending.

Nearly always when a business fails, it is due to poor management, not to the lack of need of the product or products. It may be over-extension, poor investing, time improperly spent, or internal strife.

In dealing with intangibles, which is exactly what our government is, internal strife can be a leading indicator of poor management. Far too often, a business will blame problems on its employees, things such as turn-over, absenteeism, and so on when the real problem is the people doing the managing.

This goes on in the private sector regardless of the type of business. And so does it go on with our government. Leading indicators are voter apathy, poor economic attitudes, lack of participation, loss of faith, and negative connotations attached to the concepts of 'politicians' and 'the government'.

Thus, essentially what we have had is a business, our government, operating as a factionated management team with every symptom manifesting itself.

Let's say you had a business with a management team responsible for production of policy based on logical derivation from the facts. The policy would be applied equally to all fifty of your plants across the nation.

But, as often happens in group management situations, division begins occuring with the eventual result being that instead of having one management group, you now have two.

Disagreements resulted in leaders forming from the masses of the team with members of the team falling in behind them. Compromise seems out of the question with nearly every attempt at determining policy over a certain issue.

Logical determinations based on facts are thrown out the window. Mud-slinging starts up. Any rumor is used by the teams to discount the leadership. Personalities are gotten into, disparagements on the origins of the person are brought into the battle.

The teams' behaviors have reverted in a sense to exactly as they were when five years old trying to decide who was going to play with what toy or what was going to be played.

Facts are not considered, nor is the truth. Simple emotions start ruling the day, and, of course, to the detriment of those waiting, the followers, to play whatever game and rules are settled on.

Instead of being able to play, the day is wasted while the leaders battle it out for control between themselves. Nothing is decided and, eventually, the day wanes as does the enthusiasm to play.

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our current Congress at what they call work. And, I believe it to be time we stop them in their tracks and demand they do the job they were elected to do.

After all, if it was your business being held up by them, would you not get rid of the management personnel causing you losses? Why should it be any different just because these people are in Congress?