Dear Barak, John, Mitch ,Harry etal.
My salutation speaks not to a lack of respect but to remind you from the start you are just one of us. I went to school in Washington and saw the pomp and circumstance in all its glory. It was not earned then. It is far from earned now.
The country is so tired and so frustrated. We need leaders. We need states people. The charade of speeches to empty houses, press conferences with all the resident thugs standing behind this one or that or the prospect of another presidential address just throw gasoline on the fires of our discontent.
With regard to the budget and deficit why is it so apparent to us and unfathomable by all of you ? We know taxes have to go up. On income. On gasoline. On a lot of things. The code has to be simplified and loopholes closed. Just deal with it. We already have.
As for Social Security there are two steps that can be taken immediately. First is to raise the age of retirement to 67 and 69 in 2040 and 2050 respectively. That’s 30 and 40 years from now. Actuarial charts alone show this to be long overdue. Secondly, raise the maximum salary for FICA to infinity. Forget AARP. This will clean up this mess in a hurry.
The major piece that is going to break us is healthcare. Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drug benefits, donut holes, fraud have not been addressed. Means testing is a reality not a third rail. Obamacare does nothing to address costs. These are pieces that are incredibly broken and you all stare at them like red headed stepchildren.
The wars we have fought are ill gotten. They never should have happened but they did. And many of those votes took place on many of your watches. Let’s just get out and move on. The only people they served well were the tribal leaders and the military industrial complex. Incredibly we paid them all with our hard earned dollars and they funneled that money right back to so many of you with their lobbying and money.
Our alliance with Israel is an albatross around our necks. That is not anti semitic. It is a pragmatic observation. They should be protected but not spoiled. Both sides have been brats and fools. And it goes on.
We cried out for the Arab Spring and yet we want it only on our terms. We lambaste Iran and we should. But look the other way at Israel’s possession of atomic weaponry. Saudi Arabia? Syria? Where is our outrage? We have played chess in the Middle East for ten years with our wealth and our sons and daughters as the pawns. The rest of the world has made hay.
We should cut our defense budget. Yes, we should go with a lean, well trained force instead of brute force. Carrier groups and forward bases are a thing of the past. Get out of Germany, South Korea and Japan. 25,000 elite forces with drone support could do more damage to Al Quaeda than all of those poor devils we put up as IED fodder and propaganda.
It’s not the regulations that are holding back our economy. It’s lending and attitude. The banks aren’t out of money. The eight top banks control 80% of our dollar holdings. They borrow from the Fed at 0%. They refuse to lend. Why should they? Most of the top eight banks obtain a bulk of their profits from trading.
I talk to regular Americans. Times are tough but they are making do. Sure they have cut back but they get it. Have you? They want to get better but the daily litany of petty fighting and childish back and forth has led them to believe you all have no intention of doing anything. You want to wait until the next election. That in case you haven’t realized is 16 months away from swearing in. Do you really think we have that long?
I could go on but what is the use? There are no miracle pills. There are no warm fuzzies. We are not going back whence we have come. It is sad but true. But all of you don’t get the new normal. You are cloaked in denial. The first thing an alcoholic has to do is admit he or she has got a problem. None of you have.
My daughter asked me today if any of you get it? I couldn’t name a one. I am apolitical and I mean it. I hope I speak for many Americans are not the lunatic fringes. We know the road ahead. Yours seem to be paved with outdated principles and warped realities. How incredibly sad.
Sincerely yours
Ted Kenny
Factoids:
2011 House schedule, 112th Congress
Jan.29 – Feb. 6, constituent work week
Feb. 19 – 27, constituent work week
March 19 – 27, constituent work week
April 16 to May 1, spring recess
May 14 – 22, constituent work week
May 30, Memorial Day
June 4 – 12, constituent work week
June 25 – July 5, constituent work plus Independence Day
July 16 – 24, constituent work week
Aug. 6 – Sept. 5, August recess, with Labor Day
Sept. 24 – Oct. 2, constituent work week
Oct. 10, Columbus Day
Oct. 15 – Oct. 23 constituent work week
Nov. 5 – 13, constituent work week, including Veterans Day
Nov. 19 – 27, constituent work week
Nov. 24 – 27, Thanksgiving
Dec. 8, target for adjournment
With everything needing immediate attention the boys and girls you and I elected have 145 out of a possible 312 days off.
Harry Reid and John Boehner have found it impossible to allot any time to discuss and vote on the jobs bill.
There are approximately 1,515 bills introduced in the Senate and 2,830 in the House this session. See http://www.opencongress.org/bill/all
Ted's Head 
Hear, Here!
Hope this gains some traction. reading a great new book by Tom Freidman “The Way We Used to Be”
Ted
I’ve repeated asked when will the revolution happen if it ever will. Do you think we’ll ever “overthrow” for lack of better term? Maybe the protesting in NYC is a start? What are your feeling on chris Christie? Would he just get stuck in the machine like Obama?
The Upper and Lower are getting farther and farther away from each other. Product of greed and dsconnect. A friend asked if I was against capitalism. Hell no. But capitalism has to be smart. Capitalism is made up of both management and labor. Both are needed. Thisi s getting lost.
TTG