I decided recently to start writing to my US representative about things I care about, because he's kind of a tool, so I get a kick out of haranguing him over his asinine positions.  Also, though, I suppose some naive part of me hopes that my opinion might be heard and might sway the guy's vote.  

Anyway, I was annoyed by all the Republican fluffing going on for this proposed bank bailout, because they're supposed to be all about Lord of the Flies capitalism or something.  So I wrote:

Rep. Gallegly,

I am writing with regard to the recent proposed legislation that would give the Secretary of the Treasury authority to purchase mortgage-related assets.

The party of small government had six years from 2000-2006 in control of the White House and Congress to cut spending. Instead you've run up the largest federal budget ever, as well as the largest deficit ever, all in the name of destabilizing the middle east. Were you all salivating so excitedly at the idea of war - glorious, totally awesome WAR! - that your conservative principles were just tossed out the window like a Catholic schoolgirl's knickers from the backseat of a '63 Fairlane?

Now, Hank Paulson wants 700 billion to throw at the banks. Doesn't the conservative belief in the effectiveness of the free market mean business with poor judgement SHOULD fail? Is that not the foundation of the Republican party's principles? Isn't that the logic applied to us "regular folks" when cutting public services and fighting against universal health care and education? Some people work harder, make the right choices, don't run up their debts, and the reward for doing it right is wealth and prosperity. That's the Republican principle, right?

Surely, then, as a staunch conservative, you should be in opposition to such a thing as a near-trillion-dollar handout to those businesses which have, through a mixture of unbridled greed and forehead-smacking incompetence, managed to hoist themselves by their own petard? Alas, no - I was disappointed to read in the Ventura County Star that you think the proposal is "on the right track". Are you a crazy man?

With 700 billion dollars, the government could rebuild every single one of America's 26 thousand public high schools and have more than half left over. Or pay the salaries of a million teachers for twenty years. Or buy eight hundred space telescopes, nine Strategic Petroleum Reserves, five thousand F-22s, or fifty Superconducting Supercolliders (which was canceled, by the way, for lack of federal funding.)

I am not against federal intervention on principle, as I do not subscribe to the notion that government is inherently bad. But the sheer magnitude of this proposal is beyond the pale. I am a young man, and I and my children (and my children's children) will be paying the bill for this handout for years to come.

Republicans say government should keep its nose out of business. Apparently this is only true when business is profitable. Stop selling us one thing and then doing another. Just stop - we don't believe you anymore.

Yours,

Nate Lipkowitz

The last one I wrote got an actual response (though the reponse basically said "sorry, but this is not my problem").  Sort of expecting this one to get tossed in the trash, though.