Dean Jepson: After eight years of GOP obstructionism, no wonder people angry

Millions are unhappy with the latest election, as witnessed by the protests. Unless you voted, you’ve got no business protesting. You’re likely just trying to destroy and wreck stuff. However, no amount of damage from these mostly urban reactions would overcome the damage done from the obstruction these last eight years.

Since the stimulus, Republicans have blocked every effort to maintain infrastructure, hire teachers, raise the minimum wage, give equal pay to women, stop special tax breaks for millionaires and corporations, stop tax breaks for sending jobs out of the country, provide student loan relief, help the long-term unemployed, etc. Instead, they insist on even more tax breaks for oil companies and billionaires, on cutting environmental protections, deregulating fossil fuels, etc.

They brought nothing up for a vote, unless it was influenced by their lobbyists; not even an improved background check bill for the purchase of guns, with a 91 percent public approval.

The saddest part in their hurting all Americans just to spite Obama, is that it worked. They insured the recovery wouldn’t reach everybody. So if some disheartened folks want to break windows and set a few fires, I’m sure the GOP will now find the funding to fix it.

This story was originally published November 14, 2016 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Dean Jepson: After eight years of GOP obstructionism, no wonder people angry."