Reply from my Senator

[Tappy]

After about a week I received this email today from Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill.

Dear Mr. Heitzmann:

Thank you for contacting me regarding tobacco taxes. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the chance to respond.

You are right that Congress is considering an increase in the Federal Excise Tax on Tobacco to support children’s health care, namely the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP is an important program that provides affordable health insurance for low-income children. About 63,000 Missouri children currently rely on the program for their health care, and there are an additional 117,000 who are eligible but not enrolled. Missourians are increasingly concerned about growth in the numbers of the uninsured, especially kids. All Missouri children should have access to health care that supports their growth and development to ensure they remain healthy.

The problem, of course, is how to pay for expansion. The Senate Finance Committee, which deals with legislation pertaining to taxation, recently approved S. 1893, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act sponsored by Senator Max Baucus of Montana. This bill would help fund CHIP by increasing the cigarette tax by 61 cents per pack, with a proportional increase on other tobacco products. If passed, it would cover 3.3 million additional needy children, including many thousands from Missouri, who currently don't have health insurance.

I understand that many Missourians are opposed to any increase in the tobacco tax. Personally, I would have preferred to find another way to fund CHIP expansion. In fact, earlier this year, I voted against an amendment to the Senate Budget Resolution, S.Con.Res.21, which authorized the Finance Committee to consider raising the tobacco tax for children’s health care. However, I think it is extremely important that we reauthorize and expand CHIP. This is why I will support the bill, even if it means raising the tobacco tax.

Thank you again for contacting me. I hope you will continue to reach out with your thoughts and advice in the future.

All best,
Senator Claire McCaskill


Seeing as this is an obvious form response I don't know what other recourse is available. I replied pointing out that the proposed tax, at least in the Senate bill's form, is hardly proportionate and in fact, highly punitive.

Do you think she is merely mis-informed or that this is a just political double-speak to make the tax hike sound reasonable?

[burninator]

I think she's betting that you, like so many others, aren't paying close enough attention to thoroughly understand the issue. In other words, she holds you in contempt and think little of your intelligence. Don't feel bad, though. It's nothing personal. Most, if not all, of our senators have become similarly arrogant.

[kenstogie]

Originally Posted by burninator

I think she's betting that you, like so many others, aren't paying close enough attention to thoroughly understand the issue. In other words, she holds you in contempt and think little of your intelligence. Don't feel bad, though. It's nothing personal. Most, if not all, of our senators have become similarly arrogant.

I think your mostly likely correct for a majority of them. I also wonder if they make the info so hard to get to and do the smoke an mirrors just to keep people uninformed so they can just keep trucking on the usual way.

[hollywood]

Originally Posted by Tappy

Seeing as this is an obvious form response I don't know what other recourse is available. I replied pointing out that the proposed tax, at least in the Senate bill's form, is hardly proportionate and in fact, highly punitive.

Do you think she is merely mis-informed or that this is a just political double-speak to make the tax hike sound reasonable?

She is a puppet! Bought and paid for by some seriously old money in this state. She could not care less about the kids; but knows what kind of support she may receive from her backers and is afraid to make a stand on anything remotely controversial.

I am ashamed to call her our Senator.

[SmokeyJoe]

Just saw where the bill passed... guess we have to hope for the Presidential Veto that has been promised.

[OtterAKL4987]

As a fellow Missourian and after sending Ms. Mccaskill an email, I received the same canned response. What a disgrace! I never liked her and voted for Talent in the first place. Oh well, she is only one among many incompetent politicians.

[bazookajoe]

Originally Posted by burninator

I think she's betting that you, like so many others, aren't paying close enough attention to thoroughly understand the issue. In other words, she holds you in contempt and think little of your intelligence. Don't feel bad, though. It's nothing personal. Most, if not all, of our senators have become similarly arrogant.

Not only that, but they forget that they are supposed to represent those who put them in office. I can't stand politicians that say that they're going to do something regardless of the opposition to it in their districts because they really know what's best. But they get away with it because as you said, most don't pay close enough attention to the issues.

It starts in city government - fortunately I live in a fairly small town where we remove people from office when they stop representing us and try to move on their own agendas.

[andy_mccabe501]

whats the point of her having an e-mail address if all she gives is a canned response?

Hopefully one of you guys will be able to get a real response out of her, that's just lazy not even bothering to reply - i mean, it's you guys who vote her in or out, you'd think she would respect that.

Good luck with this tax proposition guys, high tax and cigars don't get along!

andy

[Tuxguy]

her

[thunderbucks]

These responses are highly upsetting...it's a shame that so many people stand behind this because choosing to not support the insurance for other principles sound "bad" to the majority, and after all, isn't being in office just about falsely making the public feel good?

On a happier note, I contacted the Ohio governor Sherrod Brown nearly two months back, if nothing more than out of curiosity, if it would be possible to have official state language (since there is no such federal thing). I actually got a personal response, signed and everything. He addressed specific points that I brought up, and in combination with this proposition being so seemingly obscure and an authentic pen-not-toner signature, it made me . I'm sure he'll do jack shit about it, but it's nice to know he actually read over it and responded.