Washington may expect people to cheer the debt ceiling deal negotiated over the weekend, but Georgians such as Beth Gray are still disgusted that partisan rancor brought the country to the brink of crisis.
"Our government should be fired. Every single one of them," said Gray, 23, a technical writer from Alpharetta. "The Democrats say they won. The Republicans say they won. They're all idiots."
While metro Atlantans were relieved that Congress and President Barack Obama finally struck a deal to head off a default, many remained upset that the strident partisan conflict took so long to resolve and left so many important issues hanging.
More than a few were left deeply skeptical of Washington's fundamental ability to govern. And it didn't help that, in the view of many, the politicians spent their way into this crisis in the first place.
Diane Fingarson spent months worrying that a default would hurt her family business, which sells supermarket equipment. Many of her clients depend on small business loans that might have dried up if the U.S. had defaulted.
"It shouldn't have gone this far," said Fingarson, 58, who lives in Cumming. She is one of several metro Atlantans the AJC has engaged in an ongoing conversation about the debt ceiling issue.
Another, Roger Avrit of East Cobb, praised the tea party for successfully pressuring political leaders to cut federal spending. But Arvit, 69, worries that the compromise plan kicks many decisions on cuts down the road.
"They say it's guaranteed, but we've heard that before," he said. "I don't believe what they're saying."
Regardless of any political affiliation, many people said they were simply weary of the relentless back-and-forth between Democrats and Republicans.
"We're all exhausted; there's been so many changes," said June Wick, 56, of Kennesaw.
The disabled veteran, who has a son in the Marines, worries that the agreement could slice into the funding for her disability payments and the nation's military readiness.
"I'm getting tired of them using Social Security and the military as a scare tactic," said Wick, who opposed raising the debt ceiling but felt "they needed to sign something to pay the bills."
Cliff Norris, 41, of East Atlanta said he had all but lost hope that Congress would reach a deal after the U.S. Senate and the House rejected each other's proposals.
"This crisis has certainly highlighted not only the division in Congress, but the complete dysfunction and distrust between the parties," he said.
Norris watched the debate closely because he and his partner are considering refinancing their home. In the event of default, some analysts predicted that mortgage interest rates would skyrocket. The men are also planning a European vacation, so they worried about the value of the dollar weakening.
He's disappointed in Democrats because they "practically gave away the store." But he thinks the tea party stumbled, too, because its leaders "revealed how distant their philosophies are to the rest of their fellow citizens."
For all the talking, shouting and posturing, Melissa Mack never found the debt ceiling an easy issue to understand. It's been a slog, sorting through the various plans, the numbers and the political spin. In the end, she believed the elected officials were less interested in working for the American people as they were working for their re-election.
"It's pretty selfish," she said.
She's disappointed that raising revenue and eliminating tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy were taken off the table. And she worries that when the big cuts come, people who depend on public assistance will suffer.
"I have a friend whose father is in a nursing home and depends on that money," said Mack, 29, of Doraville. "Without it, he would be out on the street."
Aside from attending church Sunday morning, 36-year-old Gwinnett County music teacher Chris Strickland was glued to the television, watching the debt debate unfold.
"I hope this ends the ideological debate of ‘my way or the highway,' " he said, "because we're about to not be able to pay for the highway."
Monday evening, as a vote on the compromise bill drew nearer, he sent a text message: "Looks like it is going to finally happen. Now maybe we can focus on JOBS."
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