THE SOLUTION TO THE "DO NOTHING" CONGRESS

I WILL MAIL YOU A FREE BUMPER STICKER (SEE PHOTO ON LEFT), JUST E-MAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS AT: jmarinoesq@netzero.com

JANUARY 25, 2008

OUR CONGRESS IS A PROBLEM THAT JUST WILL NOT GO AWAY. IN NOVEMBER, 2006 THE AMERICAN VOTERS SENT A LOUD AND CLEAR MESSAGE TO CONGRESS THAT THEY WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH CONGRESS'S LACK OF ACTION, BY TURNING OUT ENOUGH INCUMBENT CONGRESSMEN TO SHIFT CONTROL FROM THE REPUBLICANS TO THE DEMOCRATS. IN REALITY, THE VOTE WAS NOT SO MUCH AGAINST REPUBLICAN CONTROL BUT AGAINST CONGRESS AS A WHOLE. THE DEMOCRATS WOND CONTROL BY DEFAULT, NOT ACCLAIM. THERE WERE TWO MAIN REASONS FOR THE VOTER'S ACTIONS, ONE WAS THE DISSATISFACTION OVER THE COURSE OF THE WAR IN IRAQ AND THE OTHER WAS THE CONSTANT BICKERING BETWEEN THE TWO POLITICAL PARTIES, RESULTING IN THE LACK OF ACTION ON VITALLY IMPORTANT PROBLEMS FACING THE COUNTRY. THESE INCLUDE SUCH MATTERS AS HEALTH CARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS, SOCIAL SECURITY, IMMIGRATION AND GASOLINE AND FUEL OIL PRICES, UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN. GASOLINE AND FUEL OIL PRICES HAVE PLAGUED THIS NATION SINCE 1972 WHEN THE ARAB CONTROLLED, O.P.E.C. NATIONS, RAISED PRICES AND TEMPERS AT THE PUMP. TO COMPOUND THE PROBLEM, LOCAL OIL PRODUCING COMPANIES HAVE SINCE RAISED THEIR PRICES TO REAP HUGE PROFITS, AS EVIDENCED BY THE DISGRACEFUL BONUSES AND RETIREMENT PACKAGE OFFERED TO EXXON-MOBIL'S CEO. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY CONGRESS FOR THIRTY FIVE YEARS TO RID US OF THIS DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN FUEL. WE NEED TO PUT ALL OUR ENEMPLOYED WORKERS TO WORK ON WATER POWER, WIND POWER AND SOLAR POWER, ALL SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY AT LOW COST, SINCE THE SOURCE IS FREE. WE COULD BE OUT OF THE ENERBY CRISES IN FIVE YEARS AND THUMB OUR NOSES AT THE ARAB O.P.E.C. NATIONS. THIS VOTER DISSATISFACTION, DID NOT END WITH THE ELECTION, THEY HAVE LOST PATIENCE AND HOPE THAT THE TWO POLITICAL PARTIES WILL COME TOGETHER AS THEY MUST, CONSTITUTIONALLY, TO WORK TOWARD A COMPROMISE AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO ALL THESE PRESSING PROBLEMS THAT DESERVE ACTION IMMEDIATELY. THE VOTERS WAITED FOR THE NEW CONGRESS TO MEET IN JANUARY, AND GO ABOUT THIS TASK, BASED ON THE VOTER'S MESSAGE IN NOVEMBER. HOWEVER, WITH THE DEMOCRATS IN CHARGE, NOTHING REALLY CHANGED, EXCEPT SOME "PLAYERS". SPEAKER PELOSI DID MANDATE A FIVE DAY WORK WEEK FOR LEGISLATORS, WHICH WAS LONG OVERDUE, BUT SHE STOPPED THERE. NOW I UNDERSTAND CONGRESS HAS VOTED BACK THEIR THREE DAY A WEEK SESSION IN 2008 WHILE VOTING THEMSELVES A PAY INCREASE. WHY DOES CONGRESS WORK THREE DAYS WHILE WE MUST WORK FIVE DAYS OR MORE JUST TO SURVIVE? CONGRESS IS STILL SEATED SEPARATELY ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT IN A SEGREGATED POSITION TO ACCENTUATE EACH POLITICAL PARTY. THIS IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO WORKING TOGETHER, IT PRODUCES THE OPPOSITE. CONGRESS SHOULD BE MADE TO STAY IN SESSION UNTIL THE PEOPLES WORK IS DONE WITH "VACATIONS" LIMITED. WITH THE AGE OF TELEPHONES, COMPUTERS AND FAXES THERE IS NO NEED FOR A CONGRESSMAN TO MEET WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS IN THEIR DISTRICT ANY TIME. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S FIRST SO-CALLED "100 HOURS" PRODUCED A MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE THAT WAS SHOT DOWN IN THE SENATE, WHO ADDED AMENDMENTS THAT DOOMED IT'S PASSAGE, TO A TOKEN RAISE. OTHER BILLS JUST AS IMPORTANT, HAVE ALSO BEEN INSTALLED AND FAILED TO BECOME LAW. THE NET EFFECT IS, THAT IT IS "NO BUSINESS AS USUAL" IN CONGRESS WITH THE SAME POLITICAL PARTY BICKERING THAT HAS EXISTED FOR TOO MANY YEARS, LEAVING ALL THE MAJOR PROBLEMS, YET UNSOLVED. IS NOT IT A FACT THAT THE ROLLS OF INDEPENDENT VOTERS NOW ARE LARGER THAN EITHER PARTY IN MANY STATES? IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT TO HAVE ANY POLITICAL PARTIES, BECAUSE OUR FREEDOM IS BASED ON BEING INDEPENDENT. EACH CONGRESSMAN IS OBVIOUSLY PUSHING THEIR PARTY'S AGENDA OR LOYALTY BEFORE THE NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, JUST AS THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE THE CURRENT PRESIDENT, THREATENS A VETO TO ANY LEGISLATION THAT DOES NOT MATCH HIS AGENDA. THIS ATTITUDE, ONLY EXASPERATES THE PROBLEM. IT HAS BECOME ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT CONTRESS HAS DESICED, BECAUSE OF PARTY LOYALTY, NOT TO COME TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. THEREFORE, THE VOTERS' SIGNALS, LAST NOVEMBER, HAS FALLEN ON DEAF EARS AND THERE IS ONLY ONE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM. THE VOTER MUST NOT RE-ELECT ANY CONGRESSMEN NOT JUST THE MAJORITY, OR A FEW MEMBERS. ALL OF THE "DO NOTHING CONGRESS MEMBERS" MUST NOT BE RE-ELECTED IF THE VOTER WANTS TO END THIS STALEMATE. THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLS ON ALL OF US, NOT JUST A FEW. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THE NEW CONGRESSMEN WILL TAKE NOTICE AND WORK FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, BY WORKING TOGETHER AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT THEIR POLITICAL PARTIES. I HAPPEN TO AGREE WITH EACH POLITICAL PARTY, WHEN THEY SAY THE OTHER IS NO GOOD. THE INTERNET TODAY IS ONE SURE WAY TO GET ATTENTION AND CONTRIBUTIONS WITH HARDLY ANY COSTS. THE POINT OF NO RETURN IS FAST APPROACHING. WE ARE IN DEBT UP TO OUR EARS, OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS ARE DYING AND BEING MAIMED DAILY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT, WE AR TRYING TO HOLD TOGETHER, AS FRAGILE AND SEEMINGLY HOPELESS AS IT IS. WE MUST END THIS BLEEDING OF OUR FORCES NOW, RATHER THAN LATER. IT IS NOT FAIR TO THEM OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO, BY A MAJORITY OF SEVENT PERCENT WANT IT ENDED, QUICKLY AND NOW. AS A RESULT OF THIS WAR AND ITS DURATION THE GOVERNMENT IS SO DEEP IN DEBT OUR GRANDCHILDREN WILL HAVE TROUBLE PAYING OUR DEBTS. WE ARE ON THE THRESHOLD OF AN ECONOMIC CRISIS, THE LIKES OF WHICH WE HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE THE 1929 STOCK MARKET CRASH AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF THE THIRTIES. OUR FACTORIES HAVE GONE OVERSEAS LOOKING FOR CHEAP LABOR WHILE OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CLIMBS. CITIES AND STATES HAVE LOST THEIR TAX BASE AND INCOME, AND CANNOT AFFORD TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THEIR RESIDENTS NEED AND DESERVE. IN THE MIDST OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN WE FIND OURSELVES FIGHTING WITH CONGRESS TO SHUT OFF THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS JUMPING OVER THE BORDER FENCES THAT ARE NOT THERE AND SHOULD BE THERE, EVEN AFTER CONGRESS VOTED FOR A FENCE, WITHOUT THE NEEDED FUNDING. GAS PRICES HAVE REACHED AN ALL TIME HIGH WHILE PRICES OF FOOD AND SERVICES HAVE ALSO RISEN DUE TO THE ADDED TRANSPORTATION COSTS. YET, THE U.S. OIL COMPANIES DO NOT PAY AN EXTRA CENT TO PUMP THE OIL OUT OF THE GROUND. THE OIL COMPANIES USE THEIR SURPLUS MONEY TO BUY THE FUTURE OIL OUTPUT IN THE STOCK MARKET TO KICK UP THE PRICES. THEY BUY THEIR OWN OIL, THEN, THEY TAKE ALL THAT EXTRA MONEY AND LAUGH AT THE AMERICAN CONSUMER, ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. WE NEED PRICE CONTROLS ON GASOLINE AND HEATING FUELS WHILE BANNING SHIPMENT OF OUR OIL TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES. WHY ARE OUR PRESCRIPTION PRICES ON DRUGS, MADE HERE IN THE U.S. TWICE THAT OF DRUGS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. THE ONLY WAY TO REWARD THE DO NOTHING CONGRESS IS TO "RE-ELECT NOBODY" TO CONGRESS THIS YEAR. WE NOT ONLY NEED A CHANGE, WE NEED A DRASTIC CHANGE. AS A RESULT, WATCH THE NEW CONGRESSMENT MAKE SURE THEY TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS. IF WE DO NOT TAKE THIS DRASTIC BUT NECESSARY STEP, WE CAN EXPECT THE SAME TYPE OF DO NOTHING CONGRESS FOR TWO MORE YEARS. WE MUST GIVE OUR NEW PRESIDENT, A COMPLETELY NEW CONGRESS WHO WILL WORK WITH HIM OR HER TO SOLVE THE PRESSING PROBLEMS IN OUR COUNTRY WITHOUT DELAY. IT IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET THE JOB DONE AND SAVE OUR COUNTRY FROM ANOTHER DEPRESSION LOOMING OVER US. FINALLY, IF YOU AGREE THAT WE NEED A DRASTIC CHANGE OF CONGRESS, PLEASE OPENLY EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS AND VOTE IN NOVEMBER 2008.

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ANDY LOONY