Current Washington Activities

I sent a message to several individuals about the current sad state of affairs in Washington. It is posted below. Feel free to use any way you see fit.

"I am writing not as a Democrat or Republican, but as an independent, as in thinker and problem solver. My thoughts below are random and in no particular order.

I am a retired professional engineer. As such I learned to solve problems in a methodical way. Simplified it works like this - I would gather all available facts, analyze the facts, come up with the best possible solution, implement that solution, later look at the results, and if not satisfactory, start the process all over again. The way that the political decision makers work is to determine what is politically correct, what will get me reelected, and go with that. Being politically correct is a cop out. It will destroy the US. We need senators and representatives who know how to solve problems and not just follow the partisan, politically correct answer. Of course this will never be accomplished until term limits are imposed and getting reelected becomes less of a catalyst.

Why is the construction of new nuclear generating plants not in the “cap and trade?” Is it politically incorrect? It would appear to me to be the most logical, productive, most efficient, nonpolluting solution.

Another way to save a lot of energy and dependence on foreign oil is to enforce speed limits. Is this politically incorrect? Are developing our huge natural gas deposits and drilling offshore and ANWAR politically incorrect? I can think of no technical reason not to do so.

Government involvement in our medical system will be a disaster. Government decision regarding treatments will be particularly harmful to the elder. Based on comments that I have heard from the President, quality of end of life will be very traumatic and will come much earlier. Why is tort reform, placing limits on malpractice suits, not mentioned. A significant amount of our medical expense goes to this. Is this politically incorrect?

I have heard “We are going to tax the corporations.” Where do the corporations get their money to pay that tax? From the consumer, of course. Who is the consumer? The individual taxpayer. So when you tax a corporation, you are taxing the American taxpayer at a higher rate because the corporation has overhead and profit that is added on when they collect that tax. Comments like that insult the intelligence of any individual that has any knowledge at all about corporate finance. Of course many voters, especially those signed up by ACORN, do not have the intelligence to understand this, it sounds good to them, and it will result in getting their vote.

I do not think that every individual should have the right to vote. In order to vote an individual should be able to pass a very simple test to demonstrate the ability to think logically about current events and have a verifiable permanent residence address. An exception to the permanent residence requirement would be full time RVers who could use their title to their RV as evidence of stability.

In today’s environment there is very little incentive to work hard, get an education, and make money. If you prosper, it is taken away from you by high taxes. If you loaf and have none or very little income, the Government will send you a check. The US was founded on the principle that if you work, you eat; if you loaf, you go hungry, and if you are handicapped, your neighbors will take care of you. Let’s do away with the present welfare system. Let the prosperous keep their earnings because they will invest it in order to make more money and that is the way jobs are created. Seems that it is impossible for the people in the majority to understand this. They are either totally stupid or think that this stance is politically incorrect.

Who writes these huge bills? 3000 pages, 1200 pages and over 300 pages of addenda/corrections delivered at 3am on the day of the vote. How ridiculous can you get? There was no way that the individuals read these bills before they voted. How irresponsible can you get? As an engineer who solved problems in a disciplined way, this makes me sick to my stomach. Come on people; this is the future of the US and its citizens that you are affecting with your incompetence. The US cannot afford to go bankrupt.

Please set party affiliation aside, compile inputs from all sides, analyze these inputs, and come up with a nonpartisan solution. If that solution is imperfect, go back to the drawing board, do not blame anyone, start over and try to come up with a better solution.

I have not touched on most of the problems with the medical system overhaul, immigration reform, and many other items that are ridiculous in Washington."