"Read the Bill"

I sent the following email to my representative, Timothy Johnson:

Representative Johnson,

When you get a chance, vote for H.Res. 554. It will make it so that bills are available to the public on the internet for 72 hours before they are voted on.

Thanks,
Scott

I will let you know if he responds.

"Cap and Trade" Bill

I sent the following email to my representative, Timothy Johnson:

Representative Johnson,

Vote against the "Cap and Trade" bill. Congress is trying to pass this bill before the people of the United States even have a chance to hear what it is about. I can't even find a way for me to get a copy of it and read it before the end of the week.

If you do vote for the bill, please send me a copy of it and explain to me why you voted for it and what part of the constitution allows congress to pass this type of legislation.

Your constituent,
Scott

I'll let you know if he responds.


Update - It took me some digging to find the number of the bill. It's HR 2454. I also found the full text. Now all I have to do is read all 1000 pages tonight and let Tim Johnson know how I feel about it before he votes tomorrow.

H.R. 1207: Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009

I sent an email to Representative Tim Johnson saying, "Thank you for supporting H.R. 1207: Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009." It's not really a question, but if I get a reply, I will post it.

HR 1424

Below are the first few paragraphs of a comment from my representative Tim Johnson:

As most of you know by now, I opposed the $700 billion bailout bill that passed the House of Representatives last Friday by a vote of 263-171.

This unprecedented government intrusion into the marketplace carries no guarantees the taxpayers will be made whole. It is a gamble on the part of the Administration and Congressional leaders. It was a gamble I was not prepared to take on the part of the American taxpayer.

For the sake of employers stretched thin by lack of credit, I hope this gamble pays off. For the sake of seniors and others who rely on stock market investments to get by, I hope this gamble pays off as well. For the sake of millions of us who have responsibly built nest eggs and paid our mortgages on time, I hope the gamble reaps great rewards.

There are many questions I believe we need to ask ourselves with each piece of legislation. I think two of the most basic questions we should ask are "What goal is this moving us towards?" and "Is this an appropriate goal for government?"

Here are additional comments from Tim Johnson in a separate address:

"This bill raises the national debt ceiling to $11.3 trillion, with no guarantees. It includes so-called fixes that are unrelated to increasing liquidity in the markets, such as raising the threshold on FDIC-insured accounts, a measure that will only cost consumers more in bank fees. Perhaps most offensive is the addition of some $180 billion in special-interest tax breaks that have nothing to do with the credit crunch.

"I simply cannot support expenditures of this magnitude that are patched together in haste, that are laden with special-interest sweeteners to attract votes because the package cannot stand on its merits. As stewards of the people's resources, we are morally obligated to do better.

"I believe government does have a role in this process and shares responsibility for this crisis. I believe we must restore confidence and accountability. But the collapse of Wall Street doesn't have to mean the collapse of personal responsibility. We are in this mess because people in privileged positions made unwise, risky decisions. I will not be part of the same mistake."

I'm not well enough informed to make bold commentary on this issue. I also don't feel I can adequately articulate the goal, the problem, or the solution. The only thing I think I can safely summarize is part of the plan as stated in the bill itself.

The Secretary is authorized to establish the Troubled Asset Relief Program (or `TARP') to purchase, and to make and fund commitments to purchase, troubled assets from any financial institution, on such terms and conditions as are determined by the Secretary, and in accordance with this Act and the policies and procedures developed and published by the Secretary. (Div. A, Sec. 101)

And the roadblock that I've now approached is whether or not this should be the responsibility of the Secretary of the Treasury? I don't know the arguments for and against granting this authority but I am of the opinion that the people should keep the responsibility of every issue they face unless there is a good reason to give that responsibility to someone else. I am looking for the reason we should give the responsibility of purchasing troubled assets to someone else.

Ford County Politics

I've begun to compile a list of the County, State, and U.S. politicians for Ford County, Illinois. The list can be found at the following address:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pCYAyV98d9pX8Xzeh6x8rGw&gid=0

Much of it will only be useful to the approximately 14,000 people in Ford County, Illinois, but for me, this list represents the 30+ government positions that I am partially responsible for and the positions over which I have any amount of control.

I feel one step closer, yet still miles away from role a citizen should play in society.

Governing Ourselves

I don't know a lot about politics and it is for that reason that I have created this blog. I think there are a lot of people like me out there. We're busy with work or school or family or whatever it may be and we want to be responsible citizens, but we don't always know how. We vote, but don't know much about the candidates. We have opinions that don't seem to be shared by our representatives. And, we have hopes and visions for our society, but we're not sure what to do with them.

I live in Ford County, Illinois. By sharing my thoughts, my hope is that someday Ford County--and someday after that, Illinois, the United States, and the World--will be primarily governed by the people and that the people will primarily govern themselves. That the people will know who has been chosen to represent us. That the opinions of our representatives will reflect our own. And that we will know what to do with our hopes and visions for our society.