Monday, July 11, 2011

Dear Speaker Boehner

John Boehner & Eric Cantor
Imagine if Speaker of the House John Boehner received millions of emails and phone calls telling him that we're mad as hell and demand that he and the Republican party cease and desist from its efforts to sacrifice our children, the elderly, low wealth, and working class families on the altar of tax cuts for those most capable of paying taxes. Stop imagining and contact Boehner's office, (202) 225-0600, shut down his phone lines, and give McConnell a call too, (202) 224-2541. If you can't reach Boehner's office by phone, send him an email. You don't have to be in Boehner's Ohio district, you may contact him in his capacity as Speaker of the House using this link

Below is my email to Boehner that I sent today.

Speaker Boehner,
I've voted in every election since I became eligible to vote, that's over 35 years ago. Members of the U.S. Congress do not represent only their districts but the well being of the entire country. As Speaker of the House, you are responsible to all of us; the people are the government.

I am dismayed at the continual efforts of your party to support tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% in this country. I am insulted that your party continues to try and persuade the voters that this is in their best interests. The theory of trickle-down economics has not worked in spite of efforts to insist that it will benefit the people of this country. The haves continue to gain more and the have-nots continue to have less. This policy has not been shown to create more jobs.

Our country is in debt and the revenues from letting the tax breaks for the wealthy expire would add considerable monies to our coffers. The justifications offered for not allowing the tax breaks to expire are ludicrous. The loopholes that allow major corporations to avoid paying taxes are ludicrous. Your party's refusal to listen to the will of the people is ludicrous.

Your party's position is that we have a spending problem and not a revenue problem. This is beyond ludicrous. We have a deficit problem. When your expenditures exceed your revenues, it is certainly appropriate to make cuts where possible but it is also prudent to engage in methods to secure additional revenues. To put it simply, if my expenditures exceed my budget, I cut back on spending. However, I don't also refuse to take steps to increase my income.

I can't say that I will no longer vote for your party; I never have and most likely never will. I will say that the destruction that you sow if you continue with this shortsighted policy will affect generations to come, and you and your party will earn the dubious distinction of having sunk the American economy.

Speaker Boehner, work with the President, not against him.

It's time to tell these elected officials that we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more. Give the President your support. He cannot stop the Republicans simply because he says so. He's the President, not a dictator. To those of you still insisting that he caved on the extension of the tax rates, get off that ride. He did not have the votes to end the tax breaks for the wealthy. If he had vetoed the bill that extended those cuts, his veto would have been overridden. Yes the Democrats were in control but all Democrats were not loyal. Instead of taking a symbolic stand that would have resulted in failure any way, the President used it as an opportunity to ensure the continuation of elements of the tax code such as the earned income tax credit (EITC) that directly benefit low wealth families.

If you want to do something now, if you want to fight the good fight, then make Congress hear that we will not accept the extension of the tax cuts for the wealthy. Making a few phone calls and/or writing an email will take you all of 15 to 20 minutes. Stop talking and start doing. I can't guarantee success but if we all do nothing, I can guarantee failure.

Find and contact your senators. 


Find and contact your representatives.

8 comments:

Beth said...

It's on my list to do, Sheria. The more I'm hearing about their ridiculous foot-dragging, the angrier I get.

Mark said...

If you were Senator Sanders and you got 50,000 emails, would you change your vote? Of course not.
Boehner cares about the Tea Party activists who can mount a primary challenge and remove him from the speakership. He won by a huge majority and his seat his safe. He doesn't give a flying hoot about a million calls he'd just attribute to MoveOn.
If your own rep is a swing vote, pressure him or her. But sorry, this is pointless.

Unknown said...

Mark, you're flat out wrong. I've spent the last 12 years of my professional working in state government. I've also been a political activist for over 30 years. It's impossible to predict the impact that grassroots lobbying can have on elected officials, so no, I can't say that this will have any impact but I can guarantee if we do nothing that nothing will change.

I generally think that you are right on target on most issues, but I totally disagree on this one. The average American has exactly the same attitude--nothing I do will really make a difference. The consequences are that a relatively small number of people can greatly influence the direction of the country because the rest are shaking their heads and declaring that it's pointless to try to impact the direction of the country. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do nothing and achieve nothing.

The Tea Party isn't a numerical majority. Their loud and active. They don't hesitate to shout their beliefs from the rooftop. The group began as a counterpoint to the Tea Party, The Coffee Party, is a joke because it can't get enough members to make any noise of significance. Fine if you don't believe there is any point to taking 20 minutes to make your voice heard but how dare you impose your pessimism on the efforts of others?

Sybil said...

All it takes for Evil to flurish is for good to stay silent..
I really do pray and hope that many many people write to Boehner as well as you have.
Love Sybil x

Nance said...

My letter to Boehner has gone out and thank you so much for the prompt! I'm throwing this back up on FB in hopes of generating more.

The mind just reels...there is something so malevolent at work here within the GOP, it's hard to grasp. I've tried and tried to look at things from their point of view...just to see if I can. I fail within minutes, every time. The US history books of the future (may there please be some) will mark this infamy.

Kyle Leach said...

Sheria, I always feel good after calling a senator or rep. Even if they don't listen to me(sems to be too often). I feel I've done my part and let them know what I expect of them. Even better it lets them know that they are being watched.

Terrific letter by the way.:)

Sarcastic Bastard said...

I despise Boehner. I'm embarrassed that he represents Ohio.

Love your e-mail.

Have a great weekend.

Sher

John Myste said...

Your party's position is that we have a spending problem and not a revenue problem. This is beyond ludicrous. We have a deficit problem.

I wrote two articles on this fact and had one very long debate on it.

I argued that we have no debt crisis. We have a deficit emergency, which is common, and a debt problem.

The wolves came out of the woodwork, but it was fun, as they had very puny teeth.

For some reason, every time I post an article with a thesis statement that suggests that either of two things, people get positively enraged:

1. There is no debt crisis(or the debt unicorn as I call it). A debt crisis is the inability to pay one's debts.

2. We have a deficit, which is defined as you have more spending than revenue.

Ironically, some of the conservative debaters are now trying to convince me that the Ryan plan would not cause any pain to the poor in America.

I have posted a request that they explain to me what cuts they think the plan contained. So far, no response.