Congressman tells Voter: “I Don’t Care What You Have To Say” (essentially)

I wrote to my Representative, William Clay, this past week to ask him why he supported Obama’s spending bills. Specifically, I wrote to him and asked:

Dear Congressman Clay,

As a young professional who is fiscally conservative and socially liberal, I am worried about the amount of spending the Obama administration is spending. Specifically, I am concerned that spending $1.5 Trillion dollars on bailing banks, businesses, and debt beat homeowners will not pull the economy out of a recession but, will instead, sink the US into a deeper recession with a higher amount of debt. Considering the amount of reform that Obama wants to push through Congress comes in the form or entitltement programs, how do you propose that taxpayers pay for all these spending once the different nations that bought our debt want their money back?

Sincerely,
XYZ

Here is the response I got.

March 13, 2009

Dear Ms. XXXXX:

This will let you know I received your recent Email message commenting on the federal budget.

I appreciate having the benefit of some of your thoughts about our nation’s spending priorities. Please be assured that I will give thoughtful consideration to the issues you raised as I work to represent the interests of the First Congressional District of Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Thank you for your communication. I hope you will continue to feel free to keep me apprised of your interests and opinions in the future.

Sincerely,

Wm. Lacy Clay
Member of Congress

WLC/mlb

Confirmation# 120XXXX

I hope that voters, like me, toss you out of office the next chance we get.
Seriously, that’s the best answer you can give? That’s not an answer! It only says “thank you for writing to me but I really don’t care what you have to say.”

Fighting Pork Barrel Spending

Arizona congressman Jeff Flake, who is fed up with the process, recently tried to get the House ethics committee to investigate links between congressional earmarks and campaign contributions.

Not surprisingly, his resolution died – despite the support of nearly all House Republicans, including those who represent North Texas districts, and 17 Democrats, including Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin, the sole Texas Democrat in Flake’s corner.

Therein is the problem. Most in Congress lack the will to police themselves, preferring to rail against wasteful earmarks while discreetly fattening up spending bills with pet projects. Flake and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas, who doesn’t earmark any project, are among the few exceptions.

Democrats Tell Obama: “Keep the Pork”

When President Obama promised Wednesday to attack defense spending that he considers wasteful and inefficient, he opened a fight with key lawmakers from his own party.

It was Democrats who stuffed an estimated $524 million in defense earmarks that the Pentagon did not request into the 2008 appropriations bill, about $220 million more than Republicans did, according to an independent estimate. Of the 44 senators who implored Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in January to build more F-22 Raptors — a fighter conceived during the Cold War that senior Pentagon officials say is not suited to probable 21st-century conflicts — most were Democrats.