Below are some suggested messages for your elected officials and others who need to hear from you. Use them as written or make changes to better reflect your views but make sure they hear from you and know where you stand. To contact legislators via phone use this number (202) 224-3121 (the Capitol Hill switchboard).
To your legislator 12/08: A Pay Increase for Congress is Outrageous!
You have got to be kidding me, a pay increase for a congress with the lowest rating of all time. How can this happen? How can there be any creditability when you talk about CEO pay injustice and lack of performance? I want to know why congress did not see fit to support Rep. Harry Mitchell, a first-term Democrat from Arizona, when he proposed legislation that would have prevented the automatic pay adjustments from kicking in for members next year. Where did you stand on supporting his legislation? What will you do to take responsible action to revive Rep. Mitchell's legislation? Please pass along my thanks to Rep. Mitchell for his statesmanship in these troubled times.
To National Geographic Channel 12/08: Regarding their program on Guns in America, send it to them at: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/contact
Your program on “Guns in America” is not what we have come to expect from you. While it might be correct in the current politically environment, it is a one sided, distorted view of a very important subject. A program such as this might help you attract funding, it has left your credibility as an honest portrayer of quality information, lacking. I’ll be viewing your programming and materials with increased skepticism in the future.
To your legislator 12/08: On Fiscal Responsibility
As a country we are in trouble and need to apply some fiscial responsibility to government. Currently, by accepted accounting standards, we are $1 trillion in debt. On the horizen we are looking at over $49 trillion in promises for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that our children will be paying for unless we do something. We need responsible action and placing us in deeper debt is not the right course. Please be responsible and deliver a better world for our children as opposed to great deficits.
To your legislator 12/08: Pass the Columbia Free Trade Act
All we hear about today is our bailing out of one business after another while we let opportunities for American businesses go by the wayside because we fail to act on the Columbia Free Trade Act.
Columbia is already able to import their goods into the U.S. duty free via a voice vote each year that Americans hear nothing about. At the same time U.S. businesses exporting to Columbia are required to pay a tariff, which make our goods more expensive to Columbians who might want to have them. I understand the goods most appealing to Columbians tend to be agriculture goods, farm equipment and technology related goods.
Therefore, this free trade act is a real opportunity to do something meaningful to create commerce as opposed to giving taxpayers money to failed businesses. It is also my understanding that there are enough votes to pass the free trade act if it were voted on but Democrat leadership will not bring it to the floor for a vote.
Canada has signed a free trade act with Columbia which mirrors the act we have failed to enact making Canadian wheat cheaper in Columbia than U.S. wheat, as well as other Canadian goods.
It is now time to act on something meaningful to economic prosperity and quit playing party politics. Government should stop throwing money at businesses that need to go through bankruptcy reorganization, you need to be a leader and quit playing games with our children’s future.
If I have misstated the facts of the Columbia Free Trade Act please advise me of my errors otherwise do your job and what is right for America.
To your legislator 12/08: Tell them to back the Gohmert Tax Holiday!
It is time for politicians in Washington show the American taxpayer they care about them and provide them some meaningful relief. The Gohmert proposal of a two month tax holiday makes more sense than all the other schemes that have been coming out of Washington lately. This plan would have the most impact on the taxpayers who make our economy go and give working class Americans something to celebrate in 2009. I would recommend that you get the proposed $332 billion, that such a tax holiday would cost, directly from the $700 billion that was proposed to bail out failed banks and insurance companies. This plan makes far more sense than throwing more money at failed auto companies and it lets American taxpayers’ make the choice of who the winners and losers are.
Do something meaningful today by supporting the Gohmert plan!
To your Legislator 11/08 - Let them hear from you today
This spending on failed businesses must stop! We have bankruptcy laws to handle these failed companies and throwing more money at the situation is not the answer. Government spending will not solve the current financial situation and will likely create the next crisis, an inflationary spiral, that will impact citizens more than a failed company meeting its deserved fate. The inflation and resulting price increases for goods that will occur with the amount of money being pumped into the economy will be the hidden tax that we all will be required to pay. As my representative I realize the decisions you must make are not easy but this is why you were elected, not to just follow the crowd and lead us over a cliff. If you have a solution that will work, go for it, but if you do nothing to eliminate the potential inflation that I suspect will occur, you become part of the problem. It is one thing to do something in difficult times to deal with a situation but if it leads to a known negative outcome and you do nothing to stop it you are responsible.
To ABC News 11/08: Send message to them here: http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346
Based on your decision to ban the wearing of patriotic insignia, including lapel pins by your reporters I have decided to reduce my viewing of ABC programming. If you don’t recognize that the people who fight and honor that flag everyday are the ones who give you the right to report the new honestly you aren’t worth listening to. You are the ones who are unpatriotic to the values of freedom and liberty which are represented by the flag of the U.S.
While I have been a viewer of ESPN, ABC Sports and other programs I will avoid being so in the future. I will make it a point to ask my friends and family to do the same
To Congress on the Bailout 11/08 (This message is for congress since they are incharge of spending bills, the Senate should get a request asking them to influence the congress to act responsibly)
"Ok let’s admit it, we made a mistake, the $700 billion that was approved has been a bust and it should be rolled back. Roll back the TARP; quit throwing away the future of our children and grandchildren.
Let the recovery happen the old fashion way, let them earn their way back to profitability."