American Space Program

The President is seeking to single-handedly end the American Space Program. He wants NASA to research and monitor climate change. That is a job for NOAA. We could save tax dollars and use simple observation – better known as the WKRP method. The climate is cooling. It has been for the last ten years. Some are just unwilling to accept this fact.

NASA is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The President is trying to take the Space out of NASA. It would be short-sighted in the extreme to end the Space Program. We are the leader in space exploration and development. Why do we seek to throw this away? Does Washington just feel the need to denigrate American exceptionalism? Should we just throw away what we have already invested in our Space Program – all the money and lives?

We can not depend on Russia for access to the Space Station. Russia is not our friend. Once Russia controls sole access to the Space Station, Russia owns the Space Station. It can do whatever it wants with it. It could even militarize it. We could not prevent it. We would be a third world country of space. Commercial flights to the Space Station would not be available for many years. If nothing else, we need to maintain a limited shuttle program until the gap is filled. Two shuttles could be kept flight ready. The other shuttle could be used for parts. Even if we only flew two missions a year, we would still be in the game.

Should one man be allowed to destroy the entire United States Space Program? NASA is a mere drop in the federal budget. The government wastes money on turtle tunnels and swine manure research, but our Space Program is expendable? Where are Washington’s priorities? It is now up to Congress.

Will Congress allow the Dream to live on or will it throw away all that we have accomplished?

The State of the Union Address

Did Groundhog Day come early this year? The State of the Union address was eerily reminiscent of last year’s speech. The agenda being pushed remained the same – a jobs bill (can’t use that nasty word stimulus this year), the Cap + Trade energy bill, the health care bill (even though the public has made it clear it does not want it), more big spending, and little emphasis on national security. Has the President been living in a bubble or is he just unwilling to hear the American people? All he did was recycle last year’s speech.

Some of his remarks were jaw-dropping. He wants Congress to “continue down the path of earmark reform.” Is this the same President that happily signed bills with 9,000 earmarks and 5,000 earmarks? There has been no earmark reform. He’s “trimmed spending?" What he has done is quadruple the debt with wild, out of control spending. He states “the worst of the storm has passed.” I don’t think so and most of America agrees with me. He still states government will be “transparent.” What I have seen is backroom deals made behind closed doors. He continues making the same old promises. Promises he won’t deliver on. There is a big disconnect between what he says and what he does.

The President said that he should have explained the health care bill better. He explained it over and over and over again. He thought that, of course, people would agree with him if only they were smart enough to understand. How arrogant! People just did not accept the bill. They do not want the federal government to control their health care or their health care decisions.

There were some good proposals in the speech. The tax burden on small businesses was to be lessened. Targeted individual tax cuts were proposed, but we need broad-based individual tax cuts. Washington needs to stop picking winners and losers in the tax game and treat the people equally. The President said he would consider building more nuclear energy facilities; a greater use of clean coal; and off-shore drilling. Of course he said this when he was campaigning. I’ll believe this when the oil starts flowing.

Apparently the President is tone-deaf to the voice of the American people. When he says he will continue to fight for his agenda, does he realize what he is fighting is the will of the American people? Does Congress realize this? We elected our Congressmen and women to represent us. Will they truly represent us? This remains to be seen.

Signed,
The Electorate

A Real Jobs Bill

Don’t repackage the Stimulus bill and call it a jobs bill. It didn’t work last year and it won’t work this year. It doesn’t matter what you call it. Government spending projects won’t end the recession. Pork projects won’t end the recession.

The government is not an effective creator of lasting jobs. Infrastructure jobs only last for a limited time. We need lasting jobs. Any job created by the government costs vastly more than the job pays. Bureaucracies waste money. Stop wasting taxpayer dollars. If the government is serious about improving the economy, it needs to create a business friendly atmosphere. The federal government needs to lower taxes on individuals and large and small businesses. It needs to temporarily loosen regulations. This will create jobs and help vitalize the economy.

It is the nature of businesses and individuals to seek to prosper – to improve their lot. We will find a way, if government stops stifling us. No one knows what new tax or regulation will next be placed on our shoulders. Business hates uncertainty. The government needs to get out of the way and let capitalism work. Only business can effectively create jobs. Help them do it.

Currently, small businesses are creating nearly all of our new jobs. They, in particular, need their burdens lessened. Reduce their taxes and offer incentives for job creation. However, do not ignore large corporations for they can create jobs in larger numbers.

I implore Congress not to repeat the mistakes of last year. An expanding government impedes the economy. Government is not the solution. Do not block a recovery. Have faith in the people and the country. Help us help ourselves.

Signed,
The Electorate

Senator Bill Nelson: "Special" Perks for Florida

You missed the point of my correspondence concerning the special benefits that Florida would receive in the Senate’s proposed health care bill. I knew that the Medicare Advantage exception that Florida would receive would apply throughout the entire state. I thought it would be grandfathered in. What I objected to was that other states – states which would not be allowed to retain Medicare Advantage – would be forced to pay for our Medicare Advantage. I do not want to profit at the expense of others. It is not right or fair. You sought this special exception for Florida. Do you think it is right or fair? If you do, you would be wise to engage in some self-examination.

Signed,
The Electorate

National Debt

For the second consecutive month, Congress is seeking to raise the level of the national debt. The federal government has a spending addiction. This country is going to be forced into bankruptcy if Congress does not control the addiction. Irresponsible spending has got to stop!

The Administration is proposing freezing discretionary spending for three years. This would be more significant if last year this spending had not been raised twenty-four percent. The government proposes freezing spending at last year’s ridiculous level and this is supposed to be fiscal responsibility? Congress should propose cutting spending by ten percent for the next financial year and by another five percent in the following year. The current level of spending is unsustainable.

The Administration also suggested cutting 250 billion dollars from the budget over the next ten years. That is 25 billion dollars a year. It is a mere drop in the federal budget. It is as significant as if I said that I would cut my spending by a penny a week. Can we not get serious about the dangers of our national debt?

If Congress is truly concerned about the size of the national debt, it will cut discretionary spending, postpone new large spending projects, cut pork projects, and eliminate earmarks forever. Congress must stop trying to spend its way out of a recession. It has never been done. It is impossible! Excessive government spending will only prolong the recession. Look to history. All the spending FDR did in the thirties did not end the recession. The recession did not end until we became involved in World War II. We were the only country in the world during this era to have a “Great” depression. Everyone else had a depression. If you doubt this, check the unemployment numbers.

Ultimately, the debt can be lowered by economic growth. This can be accomplished if the government allows businesses to recover by implementing business friendly policies and by controlling governmental spending.

Signed,
The Electorate

Why I Write

Sometimes I wonder why I take the time to write to Congress. Is anyone listening? I don’t want to write. I do have a life. However, I feel compelled to write. I have been horrified by Washington’s actions in the last year. Washington has lost its way. They have forgotten who they are and who we are. Americans are an independent, stubborn people with a strong sense of justice. We don’t want government to run our lives. We do not want handouts. Our fate should be in our own hands.

Washington has forgotten what has made this country great. The Constitution has become something that lawyers try to circumvent. They play word games with it. We know what it means. The Constitution can only legally be changed by amendment. Stop trying to pervert its meaning for your own purposes. I see our Republic and all we hold dear under attack, and I can’t just silently sit back and watch it happen.

This country was formed by men and women who put everything on the line to guarantee basic human rights for themselves and their posterity. Some of my ancestors were among them. Through the years others fought and bled and died defending our rights to this free government. Men and women are still fighting and dying for it. I can’t now be silent while you try to alter or dismantle this government. I couldn’t live with myself if I did. We have a trust with the future.

So I will continue to write. I will come to Washington, if I must, and stand with like minded citizens. This country is worth standing up for.

Signed,
The Electorate

Wake Up Call

Mr. Brown goes to Washington. If Congress doesn’t wake up and start listening to the people many more Mr. Browns and Mr. Smiths will be going to Washington come November.

Send the health care bill back to the drawing board and do it right. Stop the irresponsible spending. Eliminate earmarks and backroom deals for special groups. Cut discretionary spending. Reduce the national debt – Why isn’t returned TARP money being used to pay down the debt as was stipulated in the TARP bill? Cut business and individual taxes so that more jobs can be created. Drop the political correctness and start taking national security seriously.

The United States government is the people’s government. Stop ignoring the will of the people!

Signed,
The Electorate

Health Care: Please Explain

If the proposed health care bill is so good why do so many groups have to be exempted from its provisions before they will support it?

Signed,
The Electorate

Health Care: Sold To Special Interests

I didn’t like the House health care bill or the Senate health care bill. I didn’t expect to like the combined bill either, but was willing to wait and see what it would contain. I failed to realize just how bad it could be! First reports are horrendous. It was foolish of me not to realize how bad it could be. My father came from Chicago and I know how corrupt Chicago politics can be. The “Friends of Barack” receive special treatment. This bill is filled with special deals for the select few and what people in the real world would consider bribes. It does the exact opposite of what it was suppose to do. It will reduce the quality and quantity of health care; will increase the costs of health care; will raise taxes in a recession; and does not cover all citizens. This is not what we were promised.

Perhaps I was an optimist, but I thought there were still legislators in Washington who wanted to do what was best for the country - that they would base their votes on this and not party politics. How naive I was! This has not happened. It takes a special kind of moral fortitude to stand up for what is right and withstand the threats, browbeating, and bribes of party leaders. Does anyone in Washington still have this moral fortitude? If so the fate of the country is in their hands.

Signed,
The Electorate

Why Are Unions Special?

I have never before seen such levels of blatant cronyism and corruption as there is in Washington now. If you are a friend or supporter of those in power then you are treated differently. All men are equal – some are just more equal than others. This is not what the United States of America is based on. We might as well be ruled by George III. Favorites are given special favors.

It is being proposed that union members will be exempted from the 40 percent Cadillac tax on health care until 2018. Everyone else will be subject to this tax. Union members are treated in a different manner than their neighbors are – even if their neighbors make less than they do. Even union members will tell you that this is not fair. Fairness is an American characteristic. This will be an unpopular decision. It may be the final blow for the Democratic Party. Our founding documents guarantee us equal treatment and equal opportunity. Where is the equality in this proposed health care bill?

Union members are exempt from paying their fair share. Lawyers wouldn’t allow tort reform to be included in this bill. Unions and lawyers support Democrats financially and at the polls. This bill is blatant pay-back. I would hope that we could have a health care bill that would benefit all of America. Apparently Congress wishes us to have a bill that only benefits a select friendly few. Citizens will vocally oppose this unfair treatment and their wraith will be felt in the November elections. The clock is ticking.

Signed,
The Electorate

Full Body Scans

Why is the mass use of full body scanners being considered, when there is a less intrusive way to accomplish the same results? It is a great invasion of privacy for screeners to view travelers naked. Most men would not object, but most men would be willing to fly naked if they could breeze through security. Most women would object. Women do not want to publicly be viewed naked. This is an invasion of privacy and dignity. There is a less invasive way to promote security while preserving human rights.

Instead of using full body scanners why not use thermal imagery? Screeners see travelers’ bodies as fully clothed while hidden items show up as dark areas. This would help secure our flying safety while protecting our basic human rights. It should also be less expensive to implement. A Tampa company, Thermal Matrix, has developed this technology. This gives you the opportunity to help protect the security of our nation and promote business in our state. It’s a win-win for Florida representatives.

Signed,
The Electorate

Reject This Bad Bill

When legislators run for election, they tell their constituents where they stand on issues. When they get to Washington they ignore their pledges and the opinions of their constituents. They arrogantly believe in their superior wisdom, thinking they know what is best for the poor ignorant public. What opiate is in the waters of the Potomac? This is not representation. We hired you to represent us – not to dictate to us or to control us.

Time and time again we have told you that the health care bill is terrible. We do not want it. We want to make our own health care decisions. We do not want the federal government to run, control, or regulate the details of our health care insurance. If government controls the health care of the citizens of this country, it controls the citizens. The government does not have this right.

The government says it can regulate health care under the commerce clause. We can not even buy health care insurance across state lines. How is this interstate commerce? The federal government has limited powers granted to it in the Constitution. Health care existed in1787. If the founding fathers had wanted the federal government to control or regulate health care, they would have granted this power to the federal government. They did not do this.

Health care is not a right. Franklin Roosevelt wanted to include health care in a second bill of rights. No such amendment was ever made to the Constitution. Are we a nation of laws or do you believe that the government can do anything it wishes?

We are responsible for our own health care. The federal government can insist that rules be applied equally to all. No one should be excluded because of a preexisting condition since this could be deemed discrimination. The federal government does not have the right to dictate what type of insurance we have and how and when it can be applied. We have the right to choose what plan best suits us. We also have the right to reject insurance, if we feel this is in our best interest. The government does not have the right to force us to buy something we do not want.

In this last year the federal government has sought to expand its control over our lives. Americans believe in their individual freedoms. That is why we have protested so vehemently against this expansion of power. We will continue to do so.

Signed,
The Electorate

No State is "Special"

No state should be treated in a special manner. What federal legislation applies to one state must apply to all states. What is Congress doing? There is the Cornhusker Kickback, the Louisiana Purchase, the Sunshine Sweepstake, and I am sure many other yet unknown or named backroom deals. Why should Illinois pay for Nebraska’s new Medicaid recipients and their own too? Why should Texas pay for Florida’s Medicare Advantage when it is not available to them? Why are there so many deals made behind closed doors to buy the votes of reluctant legislators?

If individuals or private concerns made these deals they would be arrested, convicted, and imprisoned. Is it any less of a bribe if these deals are made by legislators? These deal makers are no different than Abramoff. They should suffer the same consequences. A bribe is a bribe.

We are the UNITED States of America. States should be treated equally. This “special” treatment of any state to secure a vote is not right; it is not fair; and it is not constitutional. I, for one, do not want my state of Florida to receive any special privileges that must be paid for by other states that are not benefiting from the same privileges. This country is based on equal treatment. I wish Washington could remember this.

Signed,
The Electorate

American Public Ignored

Two-thirds of the American public opposes the proposed health care legislation. They would rather have no reform than this reform. Yet congressional Democrats are bound and determined to push this unwanted legislation down our throats. If Democrats ignore the wishes of the American public, they will have to pay the political price. Actions do have consequences.

For all practical purposes there is no such thing as a moderate Democrat. Moderate Democrats feel uncomfortable with liberal legislation. They protest it. They are pressured. They are offered special deals for their states or districts. They fold.

Moderate Democrats are actually worse than liberal Democrats. They know what they are doing is wrong, but do it anyway. Moderate Democrats tell their constituents what their stance is on issues when they are running for office. Once they are elected, they vote their party line. Many electoral promises were broken this year.

Senate Democrats used Christmas as a diversion to sneak pass their bill. How despicable is it to use Christmas to gain your own ends? Yes, we were busy, but we were still paying attention to what you were doing. They won the “Grinch” award.

Signed,
The Electorate