Email sent to my Congressman..

[sboyajian]

I received an email from my Congressman (mass mail) explaining the benefits of this health care package... it offered me to respond, so I did. Read it below.

Congressman Connolly,

I want to start off by stating I have faith in what you believe, I would not have voted for you otherwise. I feel the same way about many people in office that I feel I had a hand in putting there.

That being said, I think everyone can plainly see that while Healthcare reform is a must, pushing this legislation through simply to "have it done" is a mistake that will come back to bite us.

In order to reduce the cost of medical coverage, we must do some very important things. None of those things, in my knowledge, are part of this bill.

A few of those things, but not all are:
- Prevention of frivolous lawsuits.
- Cost of prescriptions and the 7 year patent preventing generic alternatives
- Cost of medical equipment and continuing to pay "premiums" to use equipment that medical facilities have paid 10 times over.
- Not providing health services to non-US citizens whom do not have healthcare, with the exception of life or death situations.

The last few years have been a turning point for this country. We are slowing becoming a nanny state. I do not smoke cigarettes, but I do smoke cigars. More often than not, I am forced to do so only in the privacy of my own home.

Laws tell establishments they can not allow smoking there, however, who owns the property? Who owns the business? It's not the government and it's surely not the customer. If a business owner wants to allow smoking at his or her bar/resturant, what right does anyone have to tell them not to? If smoking is happening and a non-smoker does not like it, they are free to find another bar.

Often found with tobacco are the plethora of "Sin Taxes". For instance the recent "SCHIP" bill. The cost of my cigars are constantly increasing so a small minority of this nation can fund initiatives planned by non-smokers.

Rather than tax me 40 cents (on top of the existing taxes) per cigar, why not charge everyone 1 cent per soda bottle. There are a lot more people drinking soda than smoke cigars (which by the way with the sugar and additives is far more dangerous in the long run than Cigars). Spread the wealth. Make everyone pay for it.

Why is there not a tax on fast food? The average diet is 2000 - 2500 calories, yet you can achieve that in a small meal at the local fast food drive thru. Cigars don't make people Obese. They don't give people clogged arteries. They don't cause downs syndrome and they don't spread aids. Yet for some reason, whenever a healthcare scapegoat is needed, we're the first ones to get lumped into the "bad" category.

This nation is slowing leanly toward a state of disrepair. It's disappointing when I turn my TV on to watch the news and have to witness 5 minutes about whether or not the Cambridge, MA police acted stupidly, and I only get 20 seconds notification that a local soldier died in the field.
The important things don't seem to matter anymore and the people who can't think for themselves somehow seem to be making the decisions for everyone.

While I expect this email will generate the same response I have always received when sending my views to political figures (a auto generated pat on the back about how you are spearheading the healthcare campaign to move us into the next generation). I would like to hear your opinions on some of what I have mentioned. Please prove me, a man who is slowly learning that my voice only matters on election day, wrong.

Waiting with baited breath and a lit Arturo Fuente,

Stephen Boyajian

I am sure other people will be receiving emails from their local reps or already have. I encourage you all to voice your opinions..

[madurolover]

That is a well thought out and well presented letter Stephen!

[stu929]

A very well written and well thought out letter.

Very nicely done!

It could be worse you could like in the Communist State to the north of......Oh sorry MD

Hope you get a reply I would like to see the smoke he will blow in return!

[Cletus]

I wonder if they talk about cigars on political forums.....


.

[Yellowfever]

My 2 cents. Without getting political I don't believe the right thing to say is "why not tax them" ie Soda, fast food. None of these things should be taxed beyond the sales tax that already exists. Same thing for cigars, cigarettes and alcohol. The government collects more than enough in income and corp taxes. The problem is they are very inefficient at using this money.

The last thing we want to do is give them any more ideas on what to tax. Because when they tax those other products, the people that use that product will say why not tax those people over there as well. Next thing you know we will be taxed for flushing the toilet..

[sboyajian]

Originally Posted by Yellowfever

My 2 cents. Without getting political I don't believe the right thing to say is "why not tax them" ie Soda, fast food. None of these things should be taxed beyond the sales tax that already exists. Same thing for cigars, cigarettes and alcohol. The government collects more than enough in income and corp taxes. The problem is they are very inefficient at using this money.

The last thing we want to do is give them any more ideas on what to tax. Because when they tax those other products, the people that use that product will say why not tax those people over there as well. Next thing you know we will be taxed for flushing the toilet..

The bold part was kind of the point. Why not? Why are we singled out. Why do they get a free pass? They cause just as many if not more problems.

And trust me.. we aren't giving them any ideas they haven't already had.

[danmcmartin]

Great letter! I have sent similar letters to my Senators and Rep. Two, John Ensign and Dean Heller, sent me really thoughtful and specific responses to my concerns. Either their staff wrote personal responses or they craft really good form letters. Both are safe bets to oppose this health care stuff all the way. The third, Harry Reid, sent me a health care propaganda letter, "I'm working hard", "doing good things for the country", blah blah blah. I responded to that saying he really didn't respond to my concerns, very politely of course, and I got the exact same letter in response. Nice!!!

I tried to send one to Nancy Pelosi at the e-mail she lists for non-constituents. It bounced back, no such e-mail address. Cute!

Some of these people have forgotten who they work for.

[Cigary]

Good letter Steve. As long as we hold their feet to the fire they know how we feel. It's when we become complascent and stop giving them feedback as to how we feel that they will continue their evil ways. When we as their bosses give them so much leeway as to bend us over and let them screw us out of our civil liberties we deserve what we get. We have let the wolves in and now they run the henhouse and we should hold ourselves accountable for this,,,,,and do something except cry about it. We have the vote to replace these idiots,,,but will we do it?

[sboyajian]

Originally Posted by Cigary

Good letter Steve. As long as we hold their feet to the fire they know how we feel. It's when we become complascent and stop giving them feedback as to how we feel that they will continue their evil ways. When we as their bosses give them so much leeway as to bend us over and let them screw us out of our civil liberties we deserve what we get. We have let the wolves in and now they run the henhouse and we should hold ourselves accountable for this,,,,,and do something except cry about it. We have the vote to replace these idiots,,,but will we do it?

no. We fail to do so every time.

[Harley_Rob]

Good letter. I totally agree with your statement re: the Gov't imposing policy on business owners. If I OWN my own place, why on earth would I let somebody come in and tell me what to do with my property. It's ridiculous in my mind, but then again, I'm more of a "Live and Let Live" kinda dude. I want the gov't to stay out of my life.

The most terrifying statement ever heard "I'm with the government, and I'm here to help".

[Yellowfever]

Originally Posted by sboyajian

The bold part was kind of the point. Why not? Why are we singled out. Why do they get a free pass? They cause just as many if not more problems.

And trust me.. we aren't giving them any ideas they haven't already had.

I think where we may see it differently is you (correct me if I am wrong) see it as though there HAS to be a tax so we may as well spread it around. I am saying NO to any of the "pleasure" or "sin" taxes.

I don't want to take away from the letter. It was great. I just disagree with all these pleasure taxes, luxury taxes, death taxes, etc. Government needs to live within its means just as we do...

[slyder]

ask your congressman what he enjoys doing in his spare time.....when he replies.......say "lets tax that"!!

[Yellowfever]

Originally Posted by slyder

ask your congressman what he enjoys doing in his spare time.....when he replies.......say "lets tax that"!!

I agree with that! Although they are so crooked they probably don't pay for what they like to do, the lobbyist pay for it!

I am waiting for the backlash. Someday they are going to pass the threshold of too much taxes and there will be enough anger for a revolt. It is coming close here is CA.

[slyder]

i saw a thing once on tv saying if we woulda stayed under british rule we would have ended up paying less in taxes at this point. We would be huge "sissy nannies" but with more change in our pockets!

[Cigary]

Originally Posted by sboyajian

no. We fail to do so every time.

Exactly,,,,and that is part and parcel of our legacy of this generation,,the sheer apathy and laziness to do something about a corrupt system of government that we can change but do not,,,we'd rather sit on our hands and not vote these clowns out of office. We let them go into public service to vote themselves raises, healthcare that rival the richest plan on the earth, free travel, free staffing, free mail, free tenure retirement benefits after serving only ONE term. We let these guys in to basically vote against those things we want them to vote for,,,,but they turn on us and their districts to vote for "sweetheart deals" that net them more money and power and influence. There are those who are so corrupt but they end up getting voted into office 3 and 4 times,,,, and these are the same a$$holes who vote agaisnt the very civil liberties they are taking away from us. Shame on those who cry "foul" and then do nothing to take back the rights we used to have.