Sherry Chandler

A Letter to My Congressman

My U.S. Congressman, Ben Chandler, has sent out a mailer that contains a survey. He wants to know how his constituents “feel” about certain issues (assuming here that we don’t bother to “think” about those issues?).

So, because I always endeavor to be a good citizen, I tried to fill out the survey. But I found I could not. It was a list of ten yes-or-no questions and I just don’t have a yes-or-no mind.

So instead I sent him a letter. I know he’ll be oh-so-grateful. Or anyway his office staff will be glad for the job security.

Then, figuring nobody would actually ever read my letter and that I’ll probably get mad when I read the boilerplate reply the office staff sends out, I decided I would not let good dudgeon go to waste but that I’d share it with you.

Here’s what I said to Congressman Chandler (a blue doggish sort of Democrat, but hey! this is Kentucky):

I’ve been trying to complete the survey you sent out recently but I find it impossible to do so because the choices are too limited and some of the questions seem sort of loaded to me. I can’t answer them yes or no. Maybe I’m overthinking. And I understand that a survey can’t go in to nuances.

Anyway, on the question of Iraq, yes, I am in favor of beginning a withdrawal of our troops but I am not sure we should maintain a military presence “in the region.” What does that mean? I am very worried about the huge embassy and the bases we’re building within Iraq and what they imply for further adventurism in the area. I am strongly against escalating the hot war for oil but think we should fight this battle by diplomacy abroad and by encouraging development of creative alternatives at home. Terrorism is a law-enforcement issue.

Do I favor tax breaks for middle and lower-income citizens? Well, considering the current state of the national debt, I’m not sure it’s time to be lowering any taxes. I am for _increasing_ taxes on the rich and the super rich — or at least in allowing some to the tax laws to kick back in. I am definitely against any _increase_ in the payroll taxes — Social Security, Medicare, etc — that tend to hit the lower income segment hardest. But, coming as I do from a fairly low-income family, I’m willing to pay my taxes if the money is used wisely and for the right kinds of things: healthcare, education, job development, etc. Not for a military buildup and more war. Not for corporate welfare.

I’m not even over concerned about earmarks. It’s how Congressmen and Senators get re-elected, after all. I doubt that all the earmarks in the budget come anywhere near the amount we’ve squandered in Iraq.

Free trade. Probably good but not when it means corporations are free to exploit poverty in other countries while doing nothing to alleviate poverty in their own country.

Immigration — open the borders. Don’t build stupid useless expensive fences. Let illegals into the system so they can pay taxes and fight for better pay. We are exploiting people and then punishing them for being exploited.

Pollution — yes. Restrictions on pollutants.

Federal screening of child care workers — on the fence, low on my priority list. I think we are all scaring ourselves to death about child molesters while doing little to help children through education, health care etc.

Very concerned about global warming — see above about oil wars. And, by the way, all those explosions in Iraq are not doing the atmosphere much good. We’re thinking awfully short term here.

CHIP programs — fund ‘em!! Defy Bush and fund ‘em.

Mountaintop removal — stop it!! See above. Surely there must be some other way to bring jobs to Eastern Kentucky.

Kentucky is moving in the right direction in that it has elected more Democrats. We’ll see how that works out.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Sherry Chandler

Possibly related posts:

Expenditure Survey

My letter to WUKY and other meanderings

Blog is a four-letter word

From an Open Letter to Kansas Schoolboard

Election Day

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