Plan Accordingly

Rahm Emanuel is the one local leader who should know the most about Washington D.C.   He served as a Congressman, then as Chief of Staff for Resident Obama before resigning to run for and win, the office of Mayor of Chicago.   He says that Washington is dysfunctional.  To be specific on CBS this Morning he said "I'm gonna try to come up with different strategies to do a breakout because I'm not gonna get stuck in their dysfunctionality..."

You may not agree with Emanuel's politics, but I don't know anybody who doubts his intelligence or the quality of his data on this subject.   When he says that he is going to come up with different strategies to avoid being stuck in their dysfunctionality, then state and local leaders in this nation better pay attention- and plan accordingly.   Washington is dysfunctional, and the most heavily indebted entity in the history of humanity.   What Emanuel is saying here is that state and local leaders like himself better find new ways to solve problems that don't depend on Washington.

This man is a super-well connected hard-eyed realist.   He is not one to be alarmist.   If he says its this bad on national TV, you might do well to assume the reality is worse.    If he is not counting on Washington to help his city, the long-time home of his former boss and one of the crown jewels of the nation, then you can discount to nothing all the empty promises of what D.C. might do for the Heartland.

I write this because so many of our state legislators and city councils are locked into a business model that relies on continued funding and support from Washington.  Hear what Emanuel is saying folks.  We need to get away from that approach.   We need to do what he is suggesting and look at strategies to avoid getting stuck in Washington's dysfunctionality.   We don't want to be dependent on a corrupt system that is teetering on the brink.