Letter to my Congressman: RE: bailout - YOU should write one too!

[Triana]

Dear Congressman xxxxxx,

I'm writing to implore you NOT to support the Wall Street Bailout being proposed by the White House. This bill as I've seen the first drafts of it includes NO oversight by Congress or the law, does nothing to implement reforms of the industry which are obviously sorely needed, and not least, does nothing to protect taxpayers who are footing the bill and those Americans who are losing homes and who are without jobs long-term in this economy. No taxpayer protections or oversight at all!

This has to be unacceptable. It is to me.

The White House is, I think, trying to pressure Congress into giving it a blank check and I would think this is very dangerous for the US economy and therefore for the American people.

This is a 3:00 a.m. moment for Democrats in Congress. Their answer to the bill, as currently proposed, (I write this on Sunday 9/21) MUST be "NO DEAL".

I'm aware that House Republican staffers met with roughly 15 lobbyists Friday afternoon, whose message to lawmakers was clear: "Don't load the legislation up with provisions not directly related to the crisis, or regulatory measures the industry has long opposed."

Those financial institutions which caused this mess just want the money - no oversight, no regulatory reform to prevent this from happening again, and NO protections for taxpayers - only for the banks.

That is NOT acceptable.

Republicans dislike what they call "socialism" in general, though they identify many things as socialism which are not.

Republicans DO seem to like CORPORATE socialism though, or what we out here in America call "Corporate Welfare" - and that's what this bailout is. The CXOs of these institutions, we know, get huge bonuses and those should also be forfeited if the institution accepts the bailout. They are the ones who caused this, by and large! They should NOT be rewarded for their malfeasance in this manner.

The bill as proposed is unfair to us taxpayers who have to foot the bill, offers us ZERO protections in the way of regulatory reform or oversight of the proposed facility, and no relief from our OWN suffering caused by this mess. Where is OUR bailout?

I implore you to say "NO DEAL" to the facility as currently proposed - and all other Congressional Democrats. PLEASE don't let them do this to American taxpayers - and to America and the US economy!

Best Regards,

xxxxx

[Merlot]

1. This would make a great LTTE

It explains things very clearly for a lot of people who don't really know or understand what's going on.

[Triana]

6. Well I'm no expert but I can see even the basics of why this is a very unfair and wrong-headed bill

not to mention frightening. Congress has never bothered to exercise even ONE vertebrae of a spine in the past. One would LIKE to believe that on THIS - at LEAST on this - they would.

I'm not holding my breath though. Their approval ratings are not in the shitter for nothing. They've let Americans down on CRITICAL issues more times than can be counted.

I am SO disgusted. This bailout bill isn't a FIX for ANYONE but Wall Street. MAIN Street is where the fix is REALLY needed. WALL street needs a short leash and it needs to be placed under a regulatory microscope - or at LEAST those institutions who accept the taxpayer funded bailout need to be. That ought to be the price - that, and NO bonuses for their CXOs - and their books have to be open to the Public.

[Eric J in MN]

2. Good point about "ZERO protections in the way of regulatory reform or oversight "

If this corporate welfare bill had these new regulations, it would be more acceptable:

a) Restore the divisions between saving banks, investment banks, and insurance companies (Restore the "Glass-Steagall Act.")

b) Ban the type of mortgage product whose value plummetted from future trading.

It doesn't do that.

Another rotten thing about the bill is that it lets Bush give out no-bid contracts and prevents the courts from having a say.

We should all contact Congress against this $700 billion in corporate welfare.

[barbtries]

3. excellent letter

couldn't say it better myself. i agree that there has to be a HUGE response from the people to this terrible attempt by the bushies to put the last nail in the coffin of our democratic republic.

[OregonBlue]

4. Here's email link for ALL Senators and Congresspeople.

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

THEY ALL NEED TO HEAR YOUR WORDS:

The bill as proposed is unfair to us taxpayers who have to foot the bill, offers us ZERO protections in the way of regulatory reform or oversight of the proposed facility, and no relief from our OWN suffering caused by this mess. Where is OUR bailout?

[Fly by night]

24. This is a better link to reach Congresscritters.

https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml

Your link got me to this one, after about five minutes.

[AllyCat]

5. I've been looking to write a LTTE...could I borrow some of this?

It's great! My rep and one senator (Feingold) are unlikely to fall for this crappy "solution". Kohl probably would so I'd love to write something similar if that is possible.

Thanks!

[Triana]

7. By all means, use it if it helps! n/t

[Lyric]

8. I just e-mailed my House Rep *and* both Senators about this.

The irresponsible schmucks who got us into this mess are in NO position to make demands or lay out conditions. They can either accept reform, regulation, and oversight, or they can fail on their own dimes.

NO bailouts without accountability and regulation. ZERO!

[Triana]

10. I agree! n/t

[CrispyQ]

9. This is an excellent letter, Triana.

I agree with the poster above - consider sending it to your local newspaper.

Thank you for posting.

[wundermaus]

11. My congressman's email server has crashed!

We are overloading their email servers!!!

[Triana]

14. GOOD. Keep trying! n/t

[wundermaus]

20. Success!

They have been SERVED!

[liberalmuse]

12. Done!

I suck at writing, but just sent this off to my Congressman:

To the Honorable Jay Inslee,

Please vote NO on the Bailout bill as it is currently written.

I am very disturbed with the proposed Bailout bill. The current bill is essentially a blank check giving Secretary Paulson and the Executive Branch absolute power to do as they see fit with 1 trillion dollars of our tax money. They are requesting that there be no oversight or action taken by the Legislative or Judiciary Branches. This is alarming. I remember what happened last time Congress voted to give the Bush administration a blank check. We are still paying for that one.

Secretary Paulson has proposed that the bill be 'Clean and quick'. That sounds more like a mob hit than a Bailout bill. If we are going to nationalize our banking system, it is important that there be the appropriate oversight. If not, this could technically be called 'a coup' or a 'power grab' by the Executive Branch, and the American people would have no say in our future.

Right now I am angry and frustrated. I feel like America has been taken over by a corporate coup. Any dreams I had for my children's and grandchildren's future have been crushed by the Bush administration, especially by this crisis and their dumping the responsibility on the American taxpayer, while the corporate oligarchy gets to hang on to the money they essentially have been looting from the public treasury for 8 years.

Secretary Paulson has said he cannot promise that some of this money would not go towards corporate salaries. This is wrong. Too many CEO's have looted their companies and left us with the bill. These people need to be punished, not rewarded.

Please do not let the Bush administration coerce you into voting for a blank check Bailout by using fear and strong arm tactics. I really don't care that I may have to bear the burden of the current crisis, but it is wrong to place this massive load of debt on the shoulders of future generations. It is wrong for the Bush administration to use yet another crisis to grab more power for themselves, and, I suspect, put more of our tax dollars into the pockets of their cronies.

[Triana]

13. You do NOT suck at writing. This is GREAT! n/t

[liberalmuse]

16. Thank you. However, I forgot...

to suggest that they instead consider something like Bernie Sanders has proposed.

[felinetta]

15. Will democrats fold for fear of a smear that will lose us elections?

[Triana]

21. Forecast: likely - but less likely if they hear a LOT from their constituents!

We have to do what we can.

[scarletwoman]

17. I wrote both my Senators and my Congressman first thing this morning.

However, I was nowhere near as eloquent.

All I wrote was this: "Don't you DARE vote for this bail-out bill! We the People are being ROBBED BLIND. Paulson and the Bush Administration are LYING to us and we KNOW they are lying to us! STOP THIS BILL!"

Not a reasoned argument, but at least they'll probably get a clue that I'm one pissed off constituent.

sw

[Triana]

22. Good enough! Succinct and to the point. I'm sure they'll understand. n/t

[OnionPatch]

18. I'm sure my congressman was helping the Bush administration create this plan.

I will still write, just so the record shows there was some opposition. But I sort of feel like a zebra asking the lion not to eat me.

[Triana]

19. Well, it can't hurt - scream in the bastard's ear anyway. n/t

[dgibby]

23. Letter to my senator

Dear Senator Lindsay Graham, could you please get your head out of John McINSANE'S ass long enough to protect the people who elected you (and those of us who didn't)?:spank: :grr: :rant: :sarcasm:

[MrMickeysMom]

25. I've been kinda busy lately, how much of this -

may I STEAL???

Thank you in advance!

[Triana]

26. Steal all you want - just write to 'em! I'd make it a bit different, at least. n/t