This letter was written last night after I listen to Keith O and Rachel M. talk about the same things I have been thinking and putting in previous diaries. I am tired, and sadly I admit my firey retoric has been replaced with a resounding depression that things are more FUBAR then we realize, and the one's bearing the costs are our children. This truly more then anything breaks my heart in that I will not be able to even offer a marginal world of what I have. In my last two diaries I have grown more pesomistic, and a bit angry at Kossacks still singing kumbaya around the camp fire while our tents burn, ignited by a blaze of indifference. This diary will be published late tomorrow as I have not passed that 24 hour mark between postings.
(OK I AM surprised that they let me sneak it in just past MN)
Without wanting to scare anyone follow below the fold my request of my Senator, and if you make it through the letter get goddamn mad and write one of your own.
Good Evening Senator,
I hope this evening the upcoming holiday find you and your family well. At the moment mine is well, but I worry for their future which prompted this letter.
I have been following the expenditure of my tax dollars by both the Congress with TARP, and today the Federal Reserve pledging an additional $500 billion to buy additional credit debts. I watched today as CitiGroup received a Christmas present of billions for their total mismanagement and credit fraud upon consumers. Hey, would it be too much for you guys to toss in a Nintendo Wii for my family with two hard working parents? Since I am paying for CitiGroup's poor judgment, whom I was unaware I had adopted can I at least write them off as dependents along with AIG, Goldman Sachs, and all the other step children on my 2998 taxes?
Ok, no more snark for the moment. When the TARP was passed we were promised "strict Congressional oversight". Yet Congress has yet to appoint a committee and invest it with the constitutional power it needs to perform this tax. At the same time Henry Paulson is refusing to release the names of companies who have been given the $300 billion of our monies.
Also today we see billions have been given to CitiGroup. Yet several articles I have researched noted despite the Democratic leadership's assurances to the contrary, these banks, brokerages are still getting their bonuses and their shareholders are getting dividends, which happen to be my tax dollars. Not being self promoting here, if you are interested in those articles check out idealthoughts blog and the lead article. Therein are the sources.
On top of this last week you folks sent the Big Three home after they came to you with hat in hand asking for a paltry $25 billion to tide them through. Granted the corporate jets were a kind of "in your face" thing but lets see the potential impact. Basically it boils down to 3 million jobs, and America's last major source of exports aside from agriculture. What do banks export and help lower the trade deficit? I am not sympathetic to the Big Three. They brought this upon themselves, but to hear your so called colleagues today blaming the union workers whose wages have not kept pace with the rise of executive compensation try to blame it on the workers, and NOT the executives who chose not to prepare and develop a more eco, fuel efficient car to me was appalling. Then I find out on top of this my tax monies are paying bankers, broker and whomever's bonuses along with share holder dividends...... Trust me my anger is up there.
What the hell are you folks doing up there? I have campaigned hard for democrats here in Prince William County. I have for what little good it may have done written thoughtful articles on the rational for getting Dems in control of Congress and the White House. Where are you except enabling a corporate welfare scam so the rich stay fat and happy and give you contributions to keep to buy elections? Guess what though... they don't pull as many voting levers as I the working man does. The campaign contributions that Obama so raised, I no longer will contribute to any party sector with you doing such a poor job at representing me. Anger aside, let's move on.
Yesterday, Barack Obama suggested a delay in rolling back the tax cuts given to the top five percent of the income bracket might be in order, letting it die in the year 2011. These top fivers are the very same jerks that got us into this mess, yet it is my money going to bail them out. As noted earlier the Federal Reserve decided another $600 billion was needed to relieve pressure on banks, but no requirement was made to force them to lend. Who pays, well it ain't them. To raise this some the Fed will just print more money. Sounds good except it devalues the small income I and other families have, in a sense making us poorer. If I have no job, then God forbid I am in deep. Obama's willingness to forgo revenue increases while spending like a drunken sailor to keep a mistress is ludicrous.
Over the past two years we the people have voted for change, yet the people in charge of the bailout, are many of the same that helped get us into it, and the folks they are rescuing are the same individuals who brought us to our knees. Rachel Maddow over the past two nights has highlighted this same issue. If you haven't tuned in you need to. Her most striking question goes to the issue I raised earlier but it is a darker question. With the auto manufacturers you have a group of blue color workers who are interconnected with many others of their kind. With the banks and brokerages you have white color workers who are given our monies with no strings attached. Tell me if this isn't a bit strange to you? It is to me.
I am a single voice amongst many. I write you tonight in hopes you will consider my thoughts and start demanding accountability too. More over, with the restrictions imposed by the Congressional email system I am unable to write directly other representatives who more directly oversee financial issues. I ask that you forward my letter to them and ask for answers. Should you choose to respond to my letter as I hope you do, I hope the response will come from you personally and address the issues I have raised. Having an aide respond with a standard campaign web site response is at best inadequate, and to me will be an insult indicating you and your staff don't feel I am bright enough to read a thoughtful letter. I am not stupid, and as a whole we the people are not stupid. I am, and I expect an appropriate response that I am entitled to. We the voters are getting tired of politicians acting and responding to us as if we were stupid. @006 and 2008 should have demonstrated this.
I will be meeting with Gerry Connelly December 6th and he to in person will get an ear full. Please take responsibility, not for me, but so my 7 year old daughter and 16 year old and 19 year old step sons and immigrants who are like me going into the service for this country ( I did my service years ago) and help them have a future where they will not be indentured servants to China or any other country that buys our increasing debtor notes and takes ownership of this great country.
Good Night Sir and God Bless