The time has come for politicians to, well, stop being politicians and find a way to compromise before looming tax increases and spending cuts topple this nation’s economic scales.

If Republicans and Democrats in Washington — and the president, himself — have any real concern for the American people they serve, they’ll find a way to agree, ending this nonsense that, were it not so serious, would be down-right comical.

But to do that, politics must be set aside. This can’t be about a particular party or even a particular platform, and it certainly can’t be about whether the compromise will help get congressional leaders elected again — it must be about what is in the best interest of the nation and its people.

Somehow the thing that should be at the very heart of any decision has, once again, been cast aside as politicians dig their heels in, refusing to budge on issues that must be resolved.

According to The Associated Press, congressional officials said Wednesday they knew of no significant strides toward a compromise over a long Christmas weekend, and no negotiations have been set. The Senate is due in session today, although the immediate agenda includes legislation setting the rules for government surveillance of suspected spies and terrorists abroad, including Americans, as well as a measure providing $60 billion for victims of Superstorm Sandy.

And, the House has no plans to convene, following last week’s rebellion in which conservatives torpedoed Speaker John Boehner’s legislation to prevent scheduled tax increases on most, while letting them take effect on million-dollar wage earners.

So where does that leave the American people? Unfortunately we all are at the mercy of selfish lawmakers that we have elected to represent us.

Americans need to wake up and realize that what is being done in Washington right now on both sides of the aisle is not representing us or the nation’s best interest. What is happening now is politicians doing what they do best — working for their own best interest.

Our leaders will tell us, via national news shows, that the time has come to stop “kicking the can down the road,” yet the road gets longer and the can seems to be winding its way down it with no stopping in sight.

And why? Because nobody is willing to blink.

As Americans, we have an obligation to stand up and cry foul, telling our lawmakers that enough is enough, demanding that they find a way to resolve this situation and resolve it now. We tend to forget that we, not they, are the bosses here, the ones who’ve put them in the very powerful and lucrative positions they hold, and they we can remove them from those seats on high just as easily as we have put them there.

It’s time we called for compromise, and it’s time lawmakers heard our demand and did something about it.

So use your voice. Call your legislators and let your voices be heard, loudly and clearly. Perhaps our collective forces will spark action that doesn’t seem to be destined to be fueled any other way.

It’s time politicians return to being lawmakers and representatives of the people before they run us off the fiscal cliff.