Dear Representatives in Washington DC

Below find a letter I penned to my "Representatives" in Washington DC. I will be dropping them in the mail this evening.
The million dollar retirement fund idea is not mine, but one I heard was written about in a Florida newspaper some time back. If I knew the author I would give credit where it is due.

Dear Senator Casey/Senator Specter/Congresswoman Schwartz,
I am writing this letter in regards to our dully elected representatives in Washington DC. Far too long those in elected positions have not listened or heard the voice of the people. They “listen” long enough to collect the votes from their district. They then leave for Washington and never return until the next election.
Those who claim to represent the people no longer do. They represent their careers and those who donate the most to their re-election campaign. Special interest groups, those I support and those I do not, are running Washington at a time in out nation’s history when it should be run by the people, for the people. This lack of representation is a symptom of a larger cancer that is eating away at the national body that is America.
BOTH parties espouse facts skewed by political ideology and a want or need to be re-elected. Both parties have moved left and some of the party members have moved further than others. The Democrat and Republican parties of today would not be recognized by the party members of 50 years ago.
It has become, by some, un-American to question our leadership and their decisions or lack thereof. The fact is our nation’s history is built on the shoulders of giants who questioned everything about our former government. These men lost everything they had, money, family and in some cases there lives, to question our government and then try to change it. They tried and succeeded. They gave us the gift of a government we could change, if we saw fit, by majority vote. They built a system whereby we the people could govern ourselves. Govern ourselves by electing representatives.
That is no longer happening. Middle of the night meetings, “secret” votes, bills that are far too long and written in lawyer-ese so that nobody short of a lawyer could understand. It all seems to be done in order to keep the people confused or in the dark about what really happens in Washington.
Both parties are guilty of inserting needless information or proposals into bills. The recent “stimulus”, at first glance, appears to be a payback from the Democrats to their constituency. Very little in the stimulus bill creates jobs. As a matter of fact, we were told unemployment would not go above 8% if we passed the stimulus bill. Here we are approaching 10%. The “representatives” in Washington lied to us for support or that is how it appears.
We were told this was the worst economy since the Great Depression. Then we were told we underestimated just how bad it was. Is this really the time to increase spending exponentially? Is this really the time to increase taxes on the upper income earners? I would say no. I never got a job from a poor man. It is the upper income earners who own, operate and open small business and employ the vast majority of Americans.
Enact the FairTax if you truly want a level playing field for all of America. Let everyone, regardless of income earned, pay the same percentage. THAT would be fair. Taxing the upper income bracket to pay for your Socialist programs is not fair nor is it American.
We need to fix health care costs. We can all agree to that, I believe. However, allowing the government to put their hand into the medical care arena is ludicrous. There is no government plan that runs as it was envisioned or advertised to the people. Social security is bankrupt, or very close. They tell us it will create competition. What competition can the government bring that the other 1500 insurance companies can’t? How can ANY business compete on a level playing field with the government?
If we send the 11-15 million illegal aliens back to their country of origin, we can do a few things. By getting rid of the illegal workers in America, we have open jobs for Americans. We will ease the burden on the health care system by eliminating people using the emergency room as the primary care physician. We will also open up construction jobs to work on the border fence that we the taxpayers funded but is not being built. Where did the money go?
Bailing out ANY company was the wrong move by the government. I feel for the people loosing jobs. The auto industry was hit hard. But the majority of the blame can be laid at the feet of the U.A.W. By forcing, through strikes, the companies to move more money into the workers retirement, health care, pay, etc, it forced the auto makers to increase auto cost to pay for the increases. There are people out of work right now that, I believe, would cross a picket line for a check. Let the UAW walk out and hire new workers. I would rather pay for training a new person that giving in to the UAW.
Unions can and should talk to workers about becoming a union shop. BUT the vote by the workers should be private behind a curtain, NOT in public so as to be influenced by union representatives.
Investigate ACORN. There are enough allegations that it should become apparent that something is going on.
Leave my guns alone. The Constitution guarantees me the right to keep and bear arms. Support HR 197 / S 845, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.
Given the chance to speak to the President I would say this....
Mr President, you decided, along with Congress, that bailing out failing companies was a wise investment. You said giving money to business failures was what we needed to do. There was a better way that trusts the average American. It gives the people who are used to budgeting and living within their means a chance. Give all those citizens of the USA over 50 years of age 1 million dollars with the following caveats. Using that money, pay off your current home OR buy a newly constructed home. Pay off your current AMERICAN made car OR buy a new car, in cash, from one of the big 3. What is left is yours free and clear, not taxes, provided it all goes into a designated retirement fund, IE 401(K) IRA, etc. Pay off all credit card debt. Last, retire now.
Doing this would have immediately opened up jobs, created a need for automobiles and shored up the housing market and lending institutions.
I would like to thank you for taking time to “listen” to one of your constituents.