I went to Marco Rubio's website to see what direction he is headed in and found an interesting tax idea from Mr. Rubio so I emailed his campaign site a question...
I read in Mr. Rubio's biography he is in favor of a flat consumption tax. I perceived this was some sort of VAT and researched. I found an article by author: Marina Kesner-Škreb, Financial Theory and Practice, 2005, 29 (2), 205-208, stating the flat consumption tax (FCT) taxed net earnings of corporations only and incomes of individuals at a flat rate. It also did not tax earnings from interest or dividends. Is this the (FCT) Mr. Rubio was/is interested in bringing into fruition? In addition, as 47% of Americans have now been weaned off of paying taxes how does Mr. Rubio intend to bring those people back onto the tax rolls and bring "fairness" back to us left paying for National Defense and promoting the general "WELFARE"? In closing, if you are interested in more of my views, and those, I am sure, of other taxpaying citizens, please check out my blog at www.musings-of-a-concerned-american.blogspot.com. Don't be surprised to see this letter and your answer posted.
Respectfully,
Edward Rodda
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Two Headed Answer on Mortgage Regulation...
Readers, if there are any... If you believe a human reads the letters to a senator check out the computer reply to my tongue-in-cheek mortgage letter. And read it real close... Tell me he doesn't say what progressives and conservatives want to hear.
Dear Mr. Rodda:
Thank you for contacting me about regulatory reform to the mortgage industry.
I support efforts to better regulate the mortgage industry, as I believe the current housing crisis stems from a lack of regulation on an industry that ran amok. From predatory lenders to land speculators to questionable appraisal practices and risky investments by Wall Street investment banks, we need to address all aspects of this crisis.
But I understand concerns about the impact of new regulation on the housing market. We must guard against excessive regulation, while providing the necessary measures to stabilize the market. I am open to new ideas that protect consumers, promote high standards in business, and discourage companies from acting in bad faith.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I'll keep your concerns in mind as we continue to work on legislation aimed at curbing foreclosures, cracking down on predatory lending, and regulating the mortgage industry. Please don't hesitate to contact me in the future.
Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson
And my reply...
Senator,
Allow me...
The term "subprime" refers to the credit characteristics of individual borrowers. Subprime borrowers typically have weakened credit histories that include payment delinquencies, and possibly more severe problems such as charge-offs, judgments, and bankruptcies. They may also display reduced repayment capacity as measured by credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, or other criteria that may encompass borrowers with incomplete credit histories. Subprime loans are loans to borrowers displaying one or more of these characteristics at the time of origination or purchase. Such loans have a higher risk of default than loans to prime borrowers. Generally, subprime borrowers will display a range of credit risk characteristics that may include one or more of the following:
•Two or more 30-day delinquencies in the last 12 months, or one or more 60-day delinquencies in the last 24 months;
•Judgment, foreclosure, repossession, or charge-off in the prior 24 months;
•Bankruptcy in the last 5 years;
•Relatively high default probability as evidenced by, for example, a credit bureau risk score (FICO) of 660 or below (depending on the product/collateral), or other bureau or proprietary scores with an equivalent default probability likelihood; and/or
•Debt service-to-income ratio of 50% or greater, or otherwise limited ability to cover family living expenses after deducting total monthly debt-service requirements from monthly income. [1]
Senator, would you lend YOUR money to someone in this category???
Or how about...
In 1982, Congress passed the Alternative Mortgage Transactions Parity Act (AMTPA), (AMTPA also stands for "Another Mortgage for Tax Paying Americans"-my remark), which allowed non-federally chartered housing creditors to write adjustable-rate mortgages. Among the new mortgage loan types created and gaining in popularity in the early 1980s were adjustable-rate, option adjustable-rate, balloon-payment and interest-only mortgages. These new loan types are credited with replacing the long standing practice of banks making conventional fixed-rate, amortizing mortgages (which worked quite well-my remark). Among the criticisms of banking industry deregulation that contributed to the savings and loan crisis was that Congress failed to enact regulations that would have prevented exploitations by these loan types. Subsequent widespread abuses of predatory lending occurred with the use of adjustable-rate mortgages. Approximately 80% of subprime mortgages are adjustable-rate mortgages.[2]
Tell me again, who caused this???
Or how about...
In 1995, the GSEs like Fannie Mae began receiving government tax incentives for purchasing mortgage backed securities which included loans to low income borrowers. Thus began the involvement of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with the subprime market.[3] In 1996, HUD (Gee, a government agency-my remark) set a goal for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that at least 42% of the mortgages they purchase be issued to borrowers whose household income was below the median in their area. This target was increased to 50% in 2000 and 52% in 2005.[4] From 2002 to 2006, as the U.S. subprime market grew 292% over previous years, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac combined purchases of subprime securities rose from $38 billion to around $175 billion per year before dropping to $90 billion per year, which included $350 billion of Alt-A securities. Fannie Mae had stopped buying Alt-A products in the early 1990s because of the high risk of default. By 2008, the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac owned, either directly or through mortgage pools they sponsored, $5.1 trillion in residential mortgages, about half the total U.S. mortgage market.[5] The GSE have always been highly leveraged, their net worth as of 30 June 2008 being a mere US$114 billion.[6] (Wow, 114 billion covering over 5 trillion in debt, that would be about 2%. Not many traditional banks would let the average borrower get away with that-my remark.) When concerns arose in September 2008 regarding the ability of the GSE to make good on their guarantees, the Federal government was forced to place the companies into a conservatorship, effectively nationalizing them at the taxpayers' expense.[7]
So tell me again, Senator!! Who caused the problem???
In closing, I have been "schooled" by personnel in your office regarding government spending on several occasions so the above is a return of the favor. In your endeavor to provide mortgage backing to those who are less than qualified you progressives have caused the financial meltdown of our economy. You forced lenders to make loans with minimal or no regard to their ability to repay. Then you allowed the lenders to sell off the mortgage as a security which freed up the same lender money to use again. This cycle continued until, well, you know the end. Senator, you were wrong, you are wrong, and come 2012 you and the teleprompter reader in the White House will be gone and we, the taxpayers, will be left with the mess.
With the respect due your Office,
Edward Rodda
[1]http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2001/pr0901a.html
[2]Jon Birger (Published: January 31, 2008). "How Congress helped create the subprime mess". CNNMoney.com. http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/30/real_estate/congress_subprime.fortune/.
[3]Leonnig, Carol D. (June 10, 2008). "How HUD Mortgage Policy Fed The Crisis". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/09/AR2008060902626.html.
[4]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122298982558700341.html
[5]http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/Current/z1r-4.pdf, Table L.124, line 16; L.125, line 2.
[6]http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/Current/z1r-4.pdf,Table L.124, line 1 - line 21
[7]All taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subprime_mortgage_crisis
Dear Mr. Rodda:
Thank you for contacting me about regulatory reform to the mortgage industry.
I support efforts to better regulate the mortgage industry, as I believe the current housing crisis stems from a lack of regulation on an industry that ran amok. From predatory lenders to land speculators to questionable appraisal practices and risky investments by Wall Street investment banks, we need to address all aspects of this crisis.
But I understand concerns about the impact of new regulation on the housing market. We must guard against excessive regulation, while providing the necessary measures to stabilize the market. I am open to new ideas that protect consumers, promote high standards in business, and discourage companies from acting in bad faith.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I'll keep your concerns in mind as we continue to work on legislation aimed at curbing foreclosures, cracking down on predatory lending, and regulating the mortgage industry. Please don't hesitate to contact me in the future.
Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson
And my reply...
Senator,
Allow me...
The term "subprime" refers to the credit characteristics of individual borrowers. Subprime borrowers typically have weakened credit histories that include payment delinquencies, and possibly more severe problems such as charge-offs, judgments, and bankruptcies. They may also display reduced repayment capacity as measured by credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, or other criteria that may encompass borrowers with incomplete credit histories. Subprime loans are loans to borrowers displaying one or more of these characteristics at the time of origination or purchase. Such loans have a higher risk of default than loans to prime borrowers. Generally, subprime borrowers will display a range of credit risk characteristics that may include one or more of the following:
•Two or more 30-day delinquencies in the last 12 months, or one or more 60-day delinquencies in the last 24 months;
•Judgment, foreclosure, repossession, or charge-off in the prior 24 months;
•Bankruptcy in the last 5 years;
•Relatively high default probability as evidenced by, for example, a credit bureau risk score (FICO) of 660 or below (depending on the product/collateral), or other bureau or proprietary scores with an equivalent default probability likelihood; and/or
•Debt service-to-income ratio of 50% or greater, or otherwise limited ability to cover family living expenses after deducting total monthly debt-service requirements from monthly income. [1]
Senator, would you lend YOUR money to someone in this category???
Or how about...
In 1982, Congress passed the Alternative Mortgage Transactions Parity Act (AMTPA), (AMTPA also stands for "Another Mortgage for Tax Paying Americans"-my remark), which allowed non-federally chartered housing creditors to write adjustable-rate mortgages. Among the new mortgage loan types created and gaining in popularity in the early 1980s were adjustable-rate, option adjustable-rate, balloon-payment and interest-only mortgages. These new loan types are credited with replacing the long standing practice of banks making conventional fixed-rate, amortizing mortgages (which worked quite well-my remark). Among the criticisms of banking industry deregulation that contributed to the savings and loan crisis was that Congress failed to enact regulations that would have prevented exploitations by these loan types. Subsequent widespread abuses of predatory lending occurred with the use of adjustable-rate mortgages. Approximately 80% of subprime mortgages are adjustable-rate mortgages.[2]
Tell me again, who caused this???
Or how about...
In 1995, the GSEs like Fannie Mae began receiving government tax incentives for purchasing mortgage backed securities which included loans to low income borrowers. Thus began the involvement of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with the subprime market.[3] In 1996, HUD (Gee, a government agency-my remark) set a goal for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that at least 42% of the mortgages they purchase be issued to borrowers whose household income was below the median in their area. This target was increased to 50% in 2000 and 52% in 2005.[4] From 2002 to 2006, as the U.S. subprime market grew 292% over previous years, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac combined purchases of subprime securities rose from $38 billion to around $175 billion per year before dropping to $90 billion per year, which included $350 billion of Alt-A securities. Fannie Mae had stopped buying Alt-A products in the early 1990s because of the high risk of default. By 2008, the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac owned, either directly or through mortgage pools they sponsored, $5.1 trillion in residential mortgages, about half the total U.S. mortgage market.[5] The GSE have always been highly leveraged, their net worth as of 30 June 2008 being a mere US$114 billion.[6] (Wow, 114 billion covering over 5 trillion in debt, that would be about 2%. Not many traditional banks would let the average borrower get away with that-my remark.) When concerns arose in September 2008 regarding the ability of the GSE to make good on their guarantees, the Federal government was forced to place the companies into a conservatorship, effectively nationalizing them at the taxpayers' expense.[7]
So tell me again, Senator!! Who caused the problem???
In closing, I have been "schooled" by personnel in your office regarding government spending on several occasions so the above is a return of the favor. In your endeavor to provide mortgage backing to those who are less than qualified you progressives have caused the financial meltdown of our economy. You forced lenders to make loans with minimal or no regard to their ability to repay. Then you allowed the lenders to sell off the mortgage as a security which freed up the same lender money to use again. This cycle continued until, well, you know the end. Senator, you were wrong, you are wrong, and come 2012 you and the teleprompter reader in the White House will be gone and we, the taxpayers, will be left with the mess.
With the respect due your Office,
Edward Rodda
[1]http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2001/pr0901a.html
[2]Jon Birger (Published: January 31, 2008). "How Congress helped create the subprime mess". CNNMoney.com. http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/30/real_estate/congress_subprime.fortune/.
[3]Leonnig, Carol D. (June 10, 2008). "How HUD Mortgage Policy Fed The Crisis". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/09/AR2008060902626.html.
[4]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122298982558700341.html
[5]http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/Current/z1r-4.pdf, Table L.124, line 16; L.125, line 2.
[6]http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/Current/z1r-4.pdf,Table L.124, line 1 - line 21
[7]All taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subprime_mortgage_crisis
When the Feds Don't Listen... (03/22/10)
Senator Bullard,
I am writing you as a concerned citizen of your district. I have written my federal representatives in Congress on numerous occasions regarding the takeover of health care by the federal government and get the party line in return. I have called and been "schooled" by someone half my age! In any case, I understand our State Attorney General is filing a suit against the bill as soon as it is signed into law. Regardless of your opinion of the bill, soon to be signed into law, I would like to know how I can help in this endeavor. Senator, I am a Navy veteran and have been in and near countries where governments do not listen to the people who elected them. Are you listening Senator? I refuse to pile these costs onto my child. I refuse to pay for entitlements neither earned nor deserved. I refuse to believe Americans have drifted so low as to stand with hand outstretched and rely on the Federal Government for their daily bread. Are you listening Senator? I see you were a community activist also. Were you cut from the same cloth as President Obama and his just now "proud of America" wife? Do you believe it is the federal government's responsibility to coddle from the cradle to the grave? Notice the unborn are not in the list? They are going to be covered by a Presidential Proclamation!
But I digress... I again ask, is there anything I can do as a citizen of your district to help in the striking of this law prior to November, when repealing it becomes an option?
With the respect due your Office,
Edward Rodda
I am writing you as a concerned citizen of your district. I have written my federal representatives in Congress on numerous occasions regarding the takeover of health care by the federal government and get the party line in return. I have called and been "schooled" by someone half my age! In any case, I understand our State Attorney General is filing a suit against the bill as soon as it is signed into law. Regardless of your opinion of the bill, soon to be signed into law, I would like to know how I can help in this endeavor. Senator, I am a Navy veteran and have been in and near countries where governments do not listen to the people who elected them. Are you listening Senator? I refuse to pile these costs onto my child. I refuse to pay for entitlements neither earned nor deserved. I refuse to believe Americans have drifted so low as to stand with hand outstretched and rely on the Federal Government for their daily bread. Are you listening Senator? I see you were a community activist also. Were you cut from the same cloth as President Obama and his just now "proud of America" wife? Do you believe it is the federal government's responsibility to coddle from the cradle to the grave? Notice the unborn are not in the list? They are going to be covered by a Presidential Proclamation!
But I digress... I again ask, is there anything I can do as a citizen of your district to help in the striking of this law prior to November, when repealing it becomes an option?
With the respect due your Office,
Edward Rodda
Friday, March 12, 2010
A Little Tongue in Cheek...
Senator Nelson,
Just a quick note to tell you how much I appreciate you taking the worries out of my life. I was worried about health care but you are going to tax all those horrible rich people so that I can live without concern. I had been on Medicaid, but the wait time to see a doctor for free is ridiculous. I can't wait to get my entitlement check to pay for health care I deserve just like all the other folks. Also, I was watching the news and I saw New York is going to force those horrible rich restaurant owners to stop using salt to help people eat better. I can't wait until you start looking in to this throughout the United States. Then I will know the government is really concerned about my well being and wants to make sure I live for a long time.
Another area I was worried about was how I to pay off all my credit card debt, but then I found out credit card companies would let me off the hook and pass my debt on to those horrible rich people who are still paying their bills. The company I dealt with told me to stop paying any money at all to force the mean rich people running the credit card companies to take pennies for what I really owe. You know what? It really worked! I heard you are also trying to make sure those horrible rich people running the credit card companies don't take advantage of my inability to control myself from now on. Thanks to you and President Obama for protecting me.
A while ago you helped me by protecting me from the mortgage companies who lent me almost 900,000 dollars for my house in Cape Coral at 5341 Majestic Court back in 2006. I was able to walk away from that house with hardly any problems due to your protection of us poor homeowners who were tricked into taking mortgages which had adjustable rates. The mortgage company was really nice when I first showed up, I didn't even have to show them too much paperwork, which was a good thing as I am not real good at keeping track of things like that. I really didn't understand what adjustable rate meant but I as I only wanted to hold onto it for a little while so I could make a few bucks it didn't seem like a big deal. I was just barely making the monthly payment when those horrible rich people started complaining about some housing bubble that was getting ready to burst. When I tried to sell the house I couldn't find a buyer and then those mean horrible rich people at the mortgage company started calling me and letting me know the ARM was getting ready to balloon. It just seemed to me they were only trying to twist my arm to get more out of me and people like me. If you would like to know, after I walked away from that house it sold for only 156,000 dollars in 2008. I really stuck it to those horrible rich people at the mortgage company, didn't I? Trying to get me to pay almost 900G's for a house that wasn't worth a quarter of that; how dare they! I know you don't believe me but check out my house address in Cape Coral on the Tax Man's website; another horrible rich guy who was trying to get more than he deserved. I think the parcel number is 18-45-24-C4-00026.0210.
I could go on and on about all the ways you are trying to make sure I make it through my life without any cares. I could talk about how you are trying to protect the planet from the horrible energy people or how you are protecting the rights of people who don't like us and have inadvertently killed Americans while trying to voice their opinions under The First Amendment. I guess I just want you to know you can count on me to keep voting Democrat as long as you keep ensuring my well being.
Sincerely,
Edward Rodda
P.S. Okay, I have health insurance I pay for, and I don't have credit card bills, and I didn't own the house personally... It doesn't change the outcome. You keep smoothing people's self inflicted problems out, they keep voting for you. That plan cannot fail until the people paying the bills decide to stop paying the bills. I wonder how close we are to that point, Senator???
Just a quick note to tell you how much I appreciate you taking the worries out of my life. I was worried about health care but you are going to tax all those horrible rich people so that I can live without concern. I had been on Medicaid, but the wait time to see a doctor for free is ridiculous. I can't wait to get my entitlement check to pay for health care I deserve just like all the other folks. Also, I was watching the news and I saw New York is going to force those horrible rich restaurant owners to stop using salt to help people eat better. I can't wait until you start looking in to this throughout the United States. Then I will know the government is really concerned about my well being and wants to make sure I live for a long time.
Another area I was worried about was how I to pay off all my credit card debt, but then I found out credit card companies would let me off the hook and pass my debt on to those horrible rich people who are still paying their bills. The company I dealt with told me to stop paying any money at all to force the mean rich people running the credit card companies to take pennies for what I really owe. You know what? It really worked! I heard you are also trying to make sure those horrible rich people running the credit card companies don't take advantage of my inability to control myself from now on. Thanks to you and President Obama for protecting me.
A while ago you helped me by protecting me from the mortgage companies who lent me almost 900,000 dollars for my house in Cape Coral at 5341 Majestic Court back in 2006. I was able to walk away from that house with hardly any problems due to your protection of us poor homeowners who were tricked into taking mortgages which had adjustable rates. The mortgage company was really nice when I first showed up, I didn't even have to show them too much paperwork, which was a good thing as I am not real good at keeping track of things like that. I really didn't understand what adjustable rate meant but I as I only wanted to hold onto it for a little while so I could make a few bucks it didn't seem like a big deal. I was just barely making the monthly payment when those horrible rich people started complaining about some housing bubble that was getting ready to burst. When I tried to sell the house I couldn't find a buyer and then those mean horrible rich people at the mortgage company started calling me and letting me know the ARM was getting ready to balloon. It just seemed to me they were only trying to twist my arm to get more out of me and people like me. If you would like to know, after I walked away from that house it sold for only 156,000 dollars in 2008. I really stuck it to those horrible rich people at the mortgage company, didn't I? Trying to get me to pay almost 900G's for a house that wasn't worth a quarter of that; how dare they! I know you don't believe me but check out my house address in Cape Coral on the Tax Man's website; another horrible rich guy who was trying to get more than he deserved. I think the parcel number is 18-45-24-C4-00026.0210.
I could go on and on about all the ways you are trying to make sure I make it through my life without any cares. I could talk about how you are trying to protect the planet from the horrible energy people or how you are protecting the rights of people who don't like us and have inadvertently killed Americans while trying to voice their opinions under The First Amendment. I guess I just want you to know you can count on me to keep voting Democrat as long as you keep ensuring my well being.
Sincerely,
Edward Rodda
P.S. Okay, I have health insurance I pay for, and I don't have credit card bills, and I didn't own the house personally... It doesn't change the outcome. You keep smoothing people's self inflicted problems out, they keep voting for you. That plan cannot fail until the people paying the bills decide to stop paying the bills. I wonder how close we are to that point, Senator???
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
He Said, She Said... (Sort of)
Dear Mr. Rodda:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Supreme Court decision on campaign finance reform in Citizens United v. FEC. Many people believe that by striking down the limits on corporate spending in elections, the nation’s High Court has opened up our political system to dominance by moneyed special interests.
I entered public service back in the 1970s, and I don’t think I’ve seen a court decision with the potential for such far-reaching effects on our elections. So-called third-party groups, financed by corporations that tend to run negative and misleading TV ads, will be positioned to overpower the voices of average voters. Though the decision deals with Federal races, I’m sure we’ll see challenges mounted to State and local election spending limits, too.
I think there’s a real chance that Congress will act to put some reforms back in place. Please know that I will keep your views in mind should the Senate vote on this issue.
Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson
Senator,
In your reply to my email regarding your attempt to curb free speech you state the ads wil be "...financed by corporations that tend to run negative and misleading TV ads...". My question to you is Senator, who determines the negative and misleading part? Is it you senator, you, who are determined to ram health care down the throats of your constituents regardless the majority of Americans are against your plan, you, who spends our tax dollars on bailouts and pork barrel projects, you, who believes the more people there are on some entitlement the more votes you will garner come election time? Or is it the American people who should determine what is negative and misleading, what is right and wrong, what is best for our country?
No Senator, there is a fundamental difference between us, I want to do the best I can with my life helping others as I go, you want enslave people with the yoke of entitlements to protect your class's existence. Senator, government is not here to ensure people can eke out an existence relying on the benevolent hand of the ruling class, giving to those who agree and retracting it from those who believe otherwise. Government is here to ensure God's gift of life is used to the fullest with the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution!
With the respect due the Office,
Edward Rodda
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Supreme Court decision on campaign finance reform in Citizens United v. FEC. Many people believe that by striking down the limits on corporate spending in elections, the nation’s High Court has opened up our political system to dominance by moneyed special interests.
I entered public service back in the 1970s, and I don’t think I’ve seen a court decision with the potential for such far-reaching effects on our elections. So-called third-party groups, financed by corporations that tend to run negative and misleading TV ads, will be positioned to overpower the voices of average voters. Though the decision deals with Federal races, I’m sure we’ll see challenges mounted to State and local election spending limits, too.
I think there’s a real chance that Congress will act to put some reforms back in place. Please know that I will keep your views in mind should the Senate vote on this issue.
Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson
Senator,
In your reply to my email regarding your attempt to curb free speech you state the ads wil be "...financed by corporations that tend to run negative and misleading TV ads...". My question to you is Senator, who determines the negative and misleading part? Is it you senator, you, who are determined to ram health care down the throats of your constituents regardless the majority of Americans are against your plan, you, who spends our tax dollars on bailouts and pork barrel projects, you, who believes the more people there are on some entitlement the more votes you will garner come election time? Or is it the American people who should determine what is negative and misleading, what is right and wrong, what is best for our country?
No Senator, there is a fundamental difference between us, I want to do the best I can with my life helping others as I go, you want enslave people with the yoke of entitlements to protect your class's existence. Senator, government is not here to ensure people can eke out an existence relying on the benevolent hand of the ruling class, giving to those who agree and retracting it from those who believe otherwise. Government is here to ensure God's gift of life is used to the fullest with the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution!
With the respect due the Office,
Edward Rodda
Friday, February 12, 2010
The First Amendment... Only for the Ruling Class?
Senator Nelson,
For the purposes of this discussion we need the definition of two words.
(1) Lobbyist- Someone who is employed to persuade legislators to vote for legislation that favors the lobbyist's employer.
(2) Commercial- A paid announcement produced for targeted audiences to sell products or ideas.
As my elected officials prepare to block the latest Supreme Court ruling on free speech I must raise my hand with the following question in mind... Have you completely gone over the edge? Your fearless leader has lobbyists running around the White House telling him what each of the special interest groups want him to do. A word smith lovingly builds a moving argument and loads it into a teleprompter. A button is pushed, and presto, the man who has become a puppet eloquently pours those words into the ears of his fellow citizens hoping to change our "opinion". In essence, your leader has become the most powerful lobbyist to have ever been born.
Now, you in the Senate have decided what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. You have developed a bill to block the free speech of a group of citizens who have formed a corporation and wish to make paid political commercials to present their views. Somewhat like a lobbyist except the doors are open and the smoke has cleared. You believe we are not smart enough to see through the "commercial". You believe we will go out and vote for whatever because we are "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs". You believe you are more worldly than us and wish to protect us from differing ideas. You believe we might become confused, disheartened, maybe even downright disgruntled when presented with an opposing viewpoint.
Senator, as a retired Navy chief I have been around the block more than a couple times. I have seen what happens to a country when the government controls its people instead of the people controlling the government. The muzzling of differing ideas in a public venue while allowing the ruling class access to the information from essentially the same people is not just being hypocritical, it is being truly pharisaical. In truth, your attempt to block the recent ruling by the Supreme Court by legislating the silence of American citizens is the first step in totalitarianism.
With the respect due the Office,
Edward Rodda
P.S. Perhaps a couple more definitions are in order...
Pharisaical- Hypocritically self-righteous and condemnatory.
Totalitarianism- A centralized government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life.
For the purposes of this discussion we need the definition of two words.
(1) Lobbyist- Someone who is employed to persuade legislators to vote for legislation that favors the lobbyist's employer.
(2) Commercial- A paid announcement produced for targeted audiences to sell products or ideas.
As my elected officials prepare to block the latest Supreme Court ruling on free speech I must raise my hand with the following question in mind... Have you completely gone over the edge? Your fearless leader has lobbyists running around the White House telling him what each of the special interest groups want him to do. A word smith lovingly builds a moving argument and loads it into a teleprompter. A button is pushed, and presto, the man who has become a puppet eloquently pours those words into the ears of his fellow citizens hoping to change our "opinion". In essence, your leader has become the most powerful lobbyist to have ever been born.
Now, you in the Senate have decided what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. You have developed a bill to block the free speech of a group of citizens who have formed a corporation and wish to make paid political commercials to present their views. Somewhat like a lobbyist except the doors are open and the smoke has cleared. You believe we are not smart enough to see through the "commercial". You believe we will go out and vote for whatever because we are "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs". You believe you are more worldly than us and wish to protect us from differing ideas. You believe we might become confused, disheartened, maybe even downright disgruntled when presented with an opposing viewpoint.
Senator, as a retired Navy chief I have been around the block more than a couple times. I have seen what happens to a country when the government controls its people instead of the people controlling the government. The muzzling of differing ideas in a public venue while allowing the ruling class access to the information from essentially the same people is not just being hypocritical, it is being truly pharisaical. In truth, your attempt to block the recent ruling by the Supreme Court by legislating the silence of American citizens is the first step in totalitarianism.
With the respect due the Office,
Edward Rodda
P.S. Perhaps a couple more definitions are in order...
Pharisaical- Hypocritically self-righteous and condemnatory.
Totalitarianism- A centralized government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ripped This Off of Youtube Before They Killed It...
It is too important a message to be lost. Sooner or later Washington will have to listen... to our voices, our votes, or our missing tax dollars as they strive to complete their utopia. Wonder which it will be???
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