An Open Letter to Congress

I had the opportunity this week to view the video being circulated depicting an individual confronting Congressman Rangel of New York. Hat tip to HotAir.com. The video is embedded everywhere on conservative websites and has been reported on Fox News Channel. I am not sure if any of the lame-stream media has shown it. (I wonder why?) At any rate, the interviewer, Jason Mattera, approaches Rangel in the Capitol and begins asking questions. At first, Rangel puts on his plastic smile, shakes his hand, and politely engages Mattera. Mattera then asks Rangel about his issues on paying taxes, getting sweetheart deals on rental property he owns, and the Cadillac he drives paid for by taxpayers. Rangel's response: "Why don't you mind your goddamned business."

I have waffled on this over the past several weeks. I go between letting someone else deal with this, to organizing civil disobedience. What I have come up with is somewhere in between. The biggest thing you can take away from the video and what we are seeing in D.C. is the fact that these people work for us and they are not taking our best interests to heart. You should be outraged that these people are not being held accountable. Their actions are our goddamned business for as long as they hold office. They are playing with other people's money with no care or stewardship. We need to remind them that we pay their salary, we provide their livelihood, and that they need to reflect our voices. With that, I have prepared a template for anyone to print out and send to their Representatives and Senators.

(Representative/Senator),

I understand that times in Washington D.C. are very stressful for you and that the current state of affairs within this nation are troubling. I am witnessing the bickering, the behind-closed-door deals, and special interest input that you are experiencing and I felt the need to remind you of a few things.

The vast majority of citizens in this area that voted you into office do not pay income taxes. I therefore believe that since those individuals do not subsidize your livelihood, they have a lesser say in what legislation you back. People that do not pay Federal income taxes do not kick in any money to the salary that you receive to pay your mortgage, bills, or other spending. When you side with other politicians in passing legislation that further shifts the tax burden to the upper 55% of Americans, you are not listening to your employers. When you back constituents that do not pay Federal income taxes, it is akin to subverting a direct order from the executive team. It is the executives who sign the checks and until you realize this, you will continue to bite the hand that feeds you.

This is your opportunity to do what is right by your paying constituency. You need to stand up against any legislation that has any chance of increasing taxes on individuals and business, both in the present and in the future. We have had enough. You need to work with your counterparts in finding ways to decrease taxes on all Americans. Whether it involves making huge cuts in the bureaucracy, shifting our country to a consumption tax, or both, you need to promise us that you will do everything in your power to persuade others that government is not the answer to our problems.

We do not live in a Democracy. The United States is a Constitutional Republic. Our Founding Fathers created a document that outlined the role of government and the responsibilities and rights of the people. It is time that you and every other member of Congress refer back to our Constitution and make the necessary changes to put the power of this great nation into our hands once again.

Respectfully submitted,

(John Q. Public)

Please feel free to use the above letter. Copy and paste it into whatever format you wish. Make as many additions or omissions as you deem necessary to make the point that these individuals work for you and that you are fed up with the status quo. Nobody likes to pay taxes, but when the burden shifts beyond 50% of the population, we will see a massive decrease in production. When those that fall into the upper 50% realize that they are being punished for their hard work, they will figure that it is easier to lighten up. They will see that earning a certain amount will allow them to keep more of their money, through government rebates, and prevent them from achieving the higher threshold. This mentality is the backwards tract to Socialism and we need to do whatever we can to stifle this movement.