Behind Closed Doors

Behind closed doors, in secret, a few members of majority leadership are now writing health care reform bills. Apparently the open debates of the last few months were nothing but dog and pony shows. Majority leadership is drafting the bills they want. These bills will be written in a lengthy, convoluted manner to hide what is in them. The bills will then be rushed through Congress; so that neither the public nor members of Congress actually know what goodies are concealed.

What happened to the transparency that we, the voters, were promised? Legislation was not to be drafted in secret. Meetings were to be broadcast on C-Span. The public would know what was happening and what was in proposed legislation. Bills would be posted on-line 72 hours before Congress voted on them. I am waiting for these promises to be kept, but I am not holding my breath. They were probably only the promises of campaigning politicians.

It is up to moderate Democrats and Republicans to insist that they and the public be allowed time to read these bills. They must also insist that sufficient time is allowed to discuss the bills and for the public to express their opinions. This legislation will affect one-sixth of our economy and our very lives. Congress needs to get this right!

Where is Common Sense?

I wonder if Congress ever stops and listens to what they are actually proposing. In what world does what they are saying even make sense? I ask you to actually listen to the proposals and ask yourselves in what third world dictatorship could these proposals actually be enacted.

Congress is proposing a mandate to force all citizens to have health care insurance. Congress argues that car owners are required to have insurance on their cars. Car owners are required to carry insurance to cover the damage to other people’s cars. This is not the same as requiring everyone to have health care insurance. An excise tax would be placed on anyone who does not comply. If this tax is not paid that person could be fined up to $25,000 and be sentenced to one year in jail. Aren’t the jails already overcrowded? Now we will need debtor and noncompliance jails. Isn’t this one of the reasons colonists fled England and came to this land? This is a punitive tax for behavior t hat the government does not approve. It is not constitutional. Did not Congress swear to uphold the Constitution?

It is also being proposed that people who smoke or who weigh more than the government deems appropriate would have to pay thirty percent more for health care insurance. This could be raised to fifty percent at a later date. The Food Police strike again. Wasn’t the main purpose of health care reform to make it more affordable? Over fifty percent of Americans are considered overweight; thus these people would pay significantly more. If they don’t or can’t comply, they could be placed in Fat Jails. Here calories could be restricted and exercise programs be made mandatory. This gives a whole new meaning to forced labor camps.

Does not Congress see how intrusive and even ridiculous these bills would be? The Constitution never gave the federal government power to control these aspects of our lives. It is no wonder more citizens are becoming more and more vocal every day. We are Americans. This goes against everything in which we believe.

Don't Hide The Bills

In the last six months more and more Americans are paying attention to what is happening in Washington. Frankly most of them are appalled. The sleeping giant is now awake. A number of recent bills and policies should be challenged in the courts, because their constitutionality is very questionable.

Citizens now want to know what is in proposed legislation. We want to express our opinions to our congressmen and congresswomen. We want them to consider our opinions before voting. How can we do this if the bills are hidden from the public?

We were promised transparency. Where is it? All bills should be posted online at least five days before Congress votes on them. If they are good bills, the public will approve of them. If they are bad bills, they should not pass. Ours is a representative government. All we ask is that you truly represent us. You can only do this if you inform us and then consider our opinions.

This is especially true of the proposed health care bills. This affects one-sixth of our economy and our very lives. Don’t hide the bills from us. Give us time to read and consider the bills and to voice our concerns. Represent us – not special interests or individual parties.

Signed,
The Electorate

Unweildy Legislation

In the words of James Madison: "It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood."

Congress needs to pay heed to this words. Bills currently being written are routinely over one thousand pages long. They are written as obtusely as possible. This is deliberate. The writers do not want anyone, Congress included, to read or understand the bills. Much can be hidden in lengthy, convoluted bills. Representative Hoyer said the health care bill would not pass if you had to read it. Frequently, these bills are not written by our elected officials. They are written by staff, attorneys, selected "experts" and even by lobbyists. Is it too much to expect that our actual elected representatives write the bills?

Representative Waxman admitted that even he did not know all that was in the Energy Bill. He is the chairman of the committee that wrote the bill. Congress is voting on bills that they not only did not read, but on bills that they did not write. Congress is voting blindly. Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government. That is just pitiful! The people of this country deserve better representation.

Let us return to the sentiments of Madison. The body of the Constitution is only twenty pages long. It is easily understandable. I would challenge Congress to follow the example of the Constitution. Ban any legislation over one hundred pages in length and require that all legislation be written in clear, understandable language. Also pledge that you will read all bills before voting on them.

Age Discrimination in Heath Care Bill

Older citizens do not fare well in any of the health care proposals. Age discrimination is rearing its ugly head. At a time in one's life when they most need health care, our older citizens will be the least likely to receive it. Since hospital and doctor fees are being reduced in Medicare, fewer and fewer health care providers will accept Medicare. Currently, only about half this country's doctors accept Medicare. Fewer MRI and CT scans will be allowed. No doubt other procedures and treatments will also be limited. The stimulus bill provided for a panel that would determine what treatments are "cost effective". The cost of treatment will be divided by the years of benefit that may be derived from the treatment. Older citizens will be at the bottom of that list. Using this policy, the President's mother would have just been denied treatment and would not have struggled with all the paperwork.

Side thought - Why didn't her lawyer son help her with the paperwork?

As medical costs rise for older citizens, they will become disposable. Good-bye Grandma! Good-bye Grandpa! It's been nice knowing you. You were once useful, but we don't need you anymore. Treatment denied - by a bureaucrat. This is, in effect, forced euthanasia. We can be judged by how we treat our oldest and youngest citizens. How do you wish to be judged?

Any health care reform passed should not be an anti "old folks" bill.

Signed,
The Electorate

Economy: Congressional Priorities

Congress needs to readjust its priorities. It should be concentrating on reviving the ailing economy. This is the vital issue. Unemployment will soon be ten percent. Instead Congress is concentrating on an energy bill and a health care bill. These may be important but are not vital. In fact, both these bills, as they are being proposed, will adversely effect the economy.

What we need is more jobs. Small businesses drive our economy and create most of our new jobs. These bills will cripple small businesses and many will cease to exist. These bills will cause job loss. Agendas can wait. The economy can not. Ask someone, who is out of work, if he or she would rather have a job or guaranteed health care. Ask them if they would rather have a job or reduce carbon emission by under one percent by the end of the century. The answers would be unanimous - jobs.

Any bill that is passed should not be detrimental to the economy. Every bill should be looked at through the prism of the economy. That should be Congress' priority.

Signed,
The Electorate

Read the Bills; We Read Ours

Last weekend I saw a disgruntled citizen with a sign that read "Congress read the bills; we read ours". Now I understand that a citizens group is asking Congressmen and Congresswomen to sign a pledge that promises that they will read bills before voting on them. What a novel, wonderful idea - to actually know what is in a bill before voting on it! We should add this to the Constitution as an amendment!

The founders just assumed that any reasonable representative would do that. Representative Hoyer, the House majority leader, laughed at the idea of pledging to read bills before voting. How can anyone in Congress be arrogant enough to laugh at a legitimate request from citizens? Anyone who laughed at this idea owes the American public an apology. After laughing Representative Hoyer stated that the health care bill would not pass if you had to read it.

If it can't pass if Congress actually knows what is in the bill, it shouldn't pass. What is this - a Star Chamber? Should bills be passed in secrecy?

All bills should be read by those who vote on them. It would be irresponsible to not do so! The public should also know what is actually in them. Where is the promised transparency? This country deserves better from Congress. I, for one, will observe who in Congress signs the pledge to read bills before voting.

Signed,
The Electorate

Against Cap and Trade

American Solutions has a new commercial in the effort to stop the Cap and Trade bill that is being pushed through Congress.

The Markey-Waxman “Cap-and-trade” Energy Tax bill, in the current
form being considered by the House Energy and Commerce committee, would
have the following catastrophic effects by 2035:

1. Reduce aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) by $9.6 trillion annually;



2. Destroy 1,105,000 American jobs per year on average, with peak years seeing unemployment rise by over 2,479,000 jobs;



3. Raise electricity rates 90 percent after adjusting for inflation;



4. Raise inflation-adjusted gasoline prices by 74 percent;



5. Raise residential natural gas prices by 55 percent;



6. Raise an average family's annual energy bill by $1,500 annually; and



7. Increase inflation-adjusted federal debt by 26 percent, or $29,150 additional federal debt per person, again after adjusting for inflation.

Facts from: Heritage Foundation

If you want to donate to American Solutions to help get the ad on the air, click here.

Signed,

Daughter of the Electorate

Housing Crisis and "Toxic Assets"

From April 16, 2009:

To Congress,

This recession started with the housing crisis. Banks were faltering under the burden of a massive number of loans that could not be repaid. These "toxic assets" threatened our entire financial system. Why would banks approve loans, which they had to know, could not be repaid? They did this because they were required to approve these loans by the federal government.

Starting with the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 , and extended by such bills as the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Security and Soundness Act of 1992, banks were required by law to grant these unsound loans. By 2001, over 50% of home mortgages had to meet the requirements set in these acts. How did anyone expect banks to survive, much less prosper, under these conditions? My question is why aren't these acts being repealed? If we want our financial institutions to be sound, why are we forcing them to operate using unsound business practices?

Signed,
The Electorate

Rushing Legislation

From a letter sent June 12, 2009.

To Congress,

Recently legislation is consistently being rushed through Congress. This is probably because if Congress actually knew everything that was in the bills they would not vote for it. Even the committees who produce these bills don't know the full extent of what is in them. The bills are being written by lawyers, experts, advisers, and maybe even aides. Congress should be writing these bills not minions.

Once these bills reach the floors of the House and Senate there is virtually no time for debate or even time to read the bills. We deserve BETTER REPRESENTATION than this. Congress needs to fully debate these issues and above all read the bills. Don't vote for a bill that you haven't read or don't fully understand. The devil is always in the details.

It is better to enact good legislation than it is to enact swift legislation. Let's not act in haste only to repent at leisure.

Signed,
The Electorate