Thu 6 Aug 2009
You are under a misguided impression that, as a patriotic American citizen, I would like to help correct.
You were elected to your offices by a ballot of the people – American citizens one and all who have grown up loving this country and believing in a representative government of the people and by the people. We elected you based on your reported platforms and, in doing so, gave you the heady responsibility of representing our wants and needs.
Somehow you have gotten the idea that your constituents are stupid people who don’t know enough to decide important issues for ourselves, so you have the idea that what we think we want doesn’t matter when it comes to the decisions you make, because…well…you’re smarter than us. The truth is, the greater majority of us are as smart and as savvy as you are. We pay attention to the news, the issues and the things that affect us and our families. We care about our communities, our rights and our country. Admittedly, there are some who are ignorant and uninformed, but don’t fool yourselves into believing they are in the majority. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
As a result of your misguided thinking, you have decided to push through some legislation that you know doesn’t represent our wishes.
You’ve pushed through two stimulus bills that have destroyed our economy, when the better solution would have been to let the chips fall where they may. Stimulus packages never revitalize a sagging economy. The only thing that can do that is the confidence of the American people. Do you really think the American people can have confidence in an economy being propped up by huge infusions of government money? Be logical! Of course they can’t; if anything, that frightens us more! The only thing that will return our economy to a steady state and make it healthy (and grow) again is when the country’s citizenry has trust and faith that things are improving. Only then could we see real improvement, and your stimulus packages have made that impossible.
You’ve pushed through an energy/climate bill that was based on inaccurate calculations, telling us that it will only increase our home fuel bills by around $150 a year by 2020. And then, in a huge “oops moment,” you quietly informed us that you’d made a small math mistake, and the real cost to each American household will be more to the tune of $300 to $400 A MONTH. Do you really think that this is something the average American household can sustain? If so, you’re living in the dream world of the privileged few. Most of us will not be able to afford such an increase in our fuel bills. Such increases will bankrupt us and put us on the streets. Do you care? It seems not, since all you seem to be about is making the changes you want while you have an overwhelming majority that can’t be overridden. So much for checks and balances.
Now, you are trying to put through a Health bill that virtually no one wants. You are holding so many press conferences and town meetings that many of us are wondering who is actually governing our country. You claim that the opposition you have met during these meetings is false opposition – that those who vehemently voice their concerns are paid to do so, and the American people actually want this bill. Well, I’m here to tell you that we do NOT want this bill. On top of that, we are sick to death of being lied to by our President and the senators and congressmen and women who we elected to represent us. You are aware, aren’t you, that we can READ? When you tell us that we can keep our own work-provided or private insurance, we can easily find the section of the bill that states we won’t be able to do that. When you tell us that we can keep our family physicians – some of whom have been our doctors for decades – we can see in the bill that this is not the case. When you tell us this bill will improve our health care, even though it’s based on the socialized medicine we see in other countries like Canada, we know that it will actually degrade our healthcare. We know that what health care we are allowed to receive will be based on our age, our weight, or our “worthiness” to be treated.
In addition, you are trying to take away our freedom of speech with the “fairness doctrine,” which will kill conservative talk radio. The liberal lawyers you’ve put in the Justice Department have even stooped to threatening the state of Oklahoma for trying to present a bill that would make English the official language of the state! And (as a side note) Nancy Polosi herself has lied to the American people, claiming she never knew of “water boarding” when it’s part of the public record that she did.
You have pretended to be so concerned about our economy, vilifying the executives of the big three car companies for flying in separate private jets to meet with you, and yet now, you have voted for two new luxury jets to fly YOU around, when you have a perfectly good fleet of planes already. How about flying coach or driving? Heck, even flying first class would save millions of dollars over what you have chosen to do.
I could go on, but I believe I have gotten my message across to you. If not, let me make it even simpler.
You are NOT fooling us.
And while we’re at it, shame on us for wanting change so badly that we voted you in. We wrongly believed that you had integrity and honor and trusted that you would stand by your sworn pledge to represent us as provided for in the U.S. Constitution. We did not expect that, given an overwhelming majority, you would turn into wolves whose only desire was to rip and shred at the very platform on which our great country was built. We did not understand that, without the proper checks and balances, you would push through partisan legislation that we, the people you are supposed to represent, do not want. We didn’t get that you would fundamentally change the face of our government, our economy and our lives.
But know this…
If we are still a representative democracy when your terms are up, you will be voted out of office. We will take back our country just as our forefathers did before us, and our newly elected representatives will return our rights and freedoms to us and restore our great nation to its former glory.
Count on it.
Copyright August 6, 2009 by Margaret Floeter
August 7th, 2009 at 1:01 am
These are some interesting points, most of which I’ve never heard of before. But where are your sources? I can’t imagine utility bills going up $400 a month unless the price/dollar value is seriously miss-indexed. I elected to have my personal electricty bill raised less than $3 to guarantee that a substantial amount of my electrical usage is generated from renewable sources, just three dollars.
I’d love to see the section of the health care bill that you mention. I have to concede I haven’t read it myself.
It is true that the stimulus packages have not done much, they weren’t executed remotely like the New Deal and there was insufficient oversight of distributed funds on the bailout, but elements have been successful. The “Cash for Clunkers” has been ridiculously successful in both encouraging people to upgrade their vehicles and inject money into the economy. Congress approved another $2 billion because the first $1 billion of funding ran out in a week. The average vehicle driven has gained 8mpg, decreasing energy consumption.
There is no question that Bush, over several years, was allowed a free hand in manipulating the country and taking away freedoms. Why is spending money on domestic policy and reform so much worse than money spent on endless wars? The current president has completed 14.6% of his term and yet he is already vilified and his party attacked and abused at town hall meetings. What actions had Bush taken as president to try and better our country before 9/11?
At the core, it seems like it’s all come down to party politics, which is nothing short of tragic. It’s big govt. versus limited govt., an no one is willing to meet in the middle.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Thanks for the comment, Derek.
Regarding the climate bill, this was a big story a couple of months ago and was on all the network news programs, which is where I got my information. Apparently someone left a zero out in one of the calculations which, when corrected, made the costs in that area 10 times what was originally predicted.
To see an article about it, you can go here: http://www.ewg.org/node/16390
(Also, keep in mind I wasn’t referring to 2010 costs but 2020 average costs.)
You can find a copy of the health care bill here: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.pdf
Some specific pages to look at in regard to rationing of health services and benefits: pages: 29, 30, 42 and 354
The page to refer to about not getting to keep your insurance is page 145.
I haven’t found the page regarding keeping your own physician, but I’ll let you know when I do.
You sited the “Cash for Clunkers” program as a successful government program, but I think it’s important to point out that the government also SERIOUSLY miscalcuated this program. They thought the money the put aside would last for months, but in reality, it was gone in a week. No one bothered to calculate the number of automobiles the program would allow for at each dealership (which turned out to be a whopping 12 cars), which would have told them that the amount of money allocated was FAR too little. Some dealerships sold 250 cars the first day.
So, in my mind, this program proves my point that the government has no place administering our health care program. Not with these kinds of huge calcuation errors in not one but TWO of their bills/programs.
As for your comments about Bush and what he did for our country, I’ll address that in another blog. You know me…I’m not a big right winger. I’m more of a middle of the road kind of gal and not a huge Bush fan, but it is worth exploring.
Thanks again for the great comment!
Maggy
August 7th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I can solve the health care problem in three easy steps.
1. Undo the employer link to health insurance (we don’t expect our employer to pay our car insurance or our homeowners insurance — it should be no different with health insurance.)
2. No exclusions for pre-existing conditons.
3. It’s mandatory to have health insurance.
There you go.. problem solved.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Agreed. Removing health insurance from our employee package would also enable our employers to pay higher wages, so we could afford private healthcare. And, I believe private healthcare would become more affordable as a result.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Here’s how to get it through Congress:
Force each and every member of Congress to apply for private health insurance as it exists now. Have them fill out the paperwork and answer the medical questions and then wait to see if they have been accepted or not, and what it will cost, and what exclusions will apply to their coverage.
My guess is that at leat 75% of them will be severely limited in the covereage offered, or rejected flat out by the insurance companies because of their pre-existing medical conditions.
People who have never applied for private health insurance have NO CLUE what a mess it is. No clue whatsoever.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I just went through it myself, and I didn’t qualify due to existing conditions. I know exactly what you mean!
August 7th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Email comment from a friend who didn’t want to be identified:
Recession….economic stimulus… health care… supreme court judge nominations… price of oil… Iraq… Iran… Pakistan… China… Somali pirates… It all makes my brain hurt and my thinking is too simplistic.
My solutions:
- Let the banks fail
- Allow foreclosures
- Let free market run its course
- Replace incarceration with execution
- Drop the “big one” on non-conforming countries
- Send illegal immigrants back to their home countries
It’s better for me to watch sports and reality tv shows.
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Thanks Maggy for expressing what MOST Americans are feeling. Thomas Jefferson wrote: “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty”
He also wrote, and I’m paraphrasing: “A Government that gives you everything, will not haste to take everything away from you later.”
August 23rd, 2009 at 1:41 am
Wise words, indeed, Scott. The thing about this that makes me shake my head in wonder is that the power crazed politicians seem to have forgotten that they can be voted out in the next election. The Dems could have stayed in power for a long time had they continued to represent us, but they got greedy and started doing what they wanted, knowing full well that their constituents are against it. I’m seeing a Republican congress in 2012.