We have chance for more cooperation

I’ve heard mixed reactions to the new fiscal cliff aversion deal Congress just passed. Personally, as a liberal, I was hoping more for focus on revenue as the cliff approached.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not so naive that I think we can solve our economic problems without cutting spending. It just wasn’t my biggest concern. Now, a lot of people seem upset that we didn’t reach the so called “grand bargain” where we would be able to balance our budget with a single piece of legislation, but I think that the congressional leaders finally started coming back to reality and realized that it was too difficult to reform taxes and entitlements in the limited amount of time they had.

Frankly, I’m glad that we’ve finally instituted a more progressive tax code. If I were a Democrat in Congress, I’d be happy that I got what was most important to me and now have two months to put all my focus into having a thoughtful and constructive debate on spending with my Republican co-workers.

Despite people feeling disappointed at not reaching a total solution, or unsatisfied with the lack of cuts being made, I view this as a great opportunity for our country to reach the best resolution possible, and possibly build camaraderie between the two parties in Congress.

Liam Mellon

Mundelein