I Couldn’t Mend It Now, It’s a Rainy Day.
When I was a young lad growing up on the Tuttle Road in Cumberland, Maine, I’d often spend rainy days visiting at Dick Dyer’s house. The Dyers had more board games than any other two families that I knew. They also had a large collection of 78 RPM records with country music songs. This was “country” long before it married up with its bad boy mate “western.” The songs we listened to were “The Old Gray Mare,” “Turkey in the Straw” and “Arkansas Traveller.” The lyrics of the latter always stuck with me because they contained the world’s best excuse for not doing anything. The Arkansas traveler comes across an old man sitting in his cabin and fiddling while the rain is just pouring in through the leaky roof. The traveler trying to be helpful suggests to the fiddling home owner that he should mend his roof. To which the homeowner replies he can’t fix it because it is raining. So the traveler suggests that he should fix it on a fair day. Then the home owner delivers his pièce de résistance - “My cabin never leaks when it doesn't rain."
In my professional life, I’ve heard every reason in the world why something cannot be done. “It’s been tried before.” “It will cause unrest among the employees accustomed to doing it the old way.” “That’s the way the people we don’t like do it.” “It’s the camel’s nose under the tent and will lead to dire consequences.” Yes there are many reasons not to change an untenable situation, but for my money none better than that offered by the old fiddler to that overly ambitious traveler from Arkansas. You can’t fix the roof when it’s raining. That’s why I am so gratified to see that the wisdom of the old fiddler has become the mantra of today’s Republican Party. It’s the excuse that’s a perfect fit for of the party of “no.”
Obama says we’ve got to do something about health care costs- the Republicans answer, “The middle of a financial downpour is no time to be helping families, businesses and government get control of unsustainable growth in health care costs.”
Obama says we’ve got to do something about the education system that is failing too many of tomorrow’s workers- the Republicans answer, “The middle of a financial downpour is no time to start planning ahead.”
Obama says we’ve got to do something about energy use- the Republicans answer, “The middle of a financial downpour is no time to be worrying about what oil will cost a couple of years from now.”
Obama says we’ve got to spend money to stimulate the economy- the Republicans answer, “The middle of a financial downpour is no time to be pumping money into the economy and increase reliance on government jobs.”
Obama says we’ve got to cut unnecessary military costs- the Republicans answer, “The middle of a financial downpour is no time to be cutting spending and government jobs.”
But recently, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell out did them all. He even out did the old fiddler in the song. Obama proposed we end tax loopholes that incentivize American companies to send American jobs offshore. Good old Mitch said the middle of an economic downturn with its high unemployment is no time to stop rewarding companies for taking jobs away from Americans.
The truth is that change is hard and only happens in times of stress. When it is sunny, we never fix the roof. If budget shortfalls don’t inspire the state government to make real structural changes, then they’ll never happen. If a downturn that exposes our weaknesses doesn’t prompt fixing the structural problems in our economy, don’t imagine they’ll be addressed when things seem sunny and dry.
During the great depression the banking system and wall street were regulated and put on sound footing. During the good times of the late 80's through 2007 the regulations were savaged and the banks destroyed.
During World War II women and blacks were given equal jobs with white men, at the end of war, not so much.
During the energy crisis of the 1970's we passed laws creating alternative energy production facilities. In the late 90's with low oil prices many were taken off line.
So the next time a politician tells you we should not be tackling the underlying problems in the middle of our current economic predicament, ask him to get out his fiddle and sing that one in tune.
“You'd better mend your roof," said he.
But the old man said as he played away,
"I couldn't mend it now, it's a rainy day."
Arkansas Traveler
Oh, once upon a time in Arkansas,
An old man sat in his little cabin door
And fiddled at a tune that he liked to hear,
A jolly old tune that he played by ear.
It was raining hard, but the fiddler didn't care,
He sawed away at the popular air,
Tho' his rooftree leaked like a waterfall,
That didn't seem to bother the man at all.
A traveler was riding by that day,
And stopped to hear him a-practicing away;
The cabin was a-float and his feet were wet,
But still the old man didn't seem to fret.
So the stranger said "Now the way it seems to me,
You'd better mend your roof," said he.
But the old man said as he played away,
"I couldn't mend it now, it's a rainy day."
The traveler replied, "That's all quite true,
But this, I think, is the thing to do;
Get busy on a day that is fair and bright,
Then patch the old roof till it's good and tight."
But the old man kept on a-playing at his reel,
And tapped the ground with his leathery heel.
"Get along," said he, "for you give me a pain;
My cabin never leaks when it doesn't rain."