Straight from the horses mouth

Pocono Joe

Thought I would share the two responses I got from my US Senators from Pennsylvania. I wrote them before the vote, requesting that they vote NO to the economic stimulus plan as had appeared in its current form at the time. I beseeched them to try and work on getting the bill strictly gauged toward job creation before voting for it.

Looks like they listened to me as well as everyone else here does.

Well... at least I can say I tried.


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Dear CRAZY NEO-CON (I changed that part… PJ):

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on the economic recovery plan. I appreciate hearing from you.

The end of the year brought sobering news about the state of our economy. So many working families have suffered under the weight of this recession. In 2008, 3.6 million Americans lost their jobs and unemployment soared to 7.2 percent. In Pennsylvania, 54,300 jobs were lost in a single month between November and December, bringing the state's unemployment rate from 6.2 percent to 6.7 percent. Compounding the bleak employment data is the state's own financial picture. These shortfalls present a danger to communities across Pennsylvania as state and local officials may be required to raise tax rates to meet the looming deficits unless action is taken.

As you are aware, Congress has been working with the Obama Administration over the past several weeks to come up with a recovery plan to begin to reverse the economic downturn. The bill, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, includes many components designed to accomplish this goal. For instance, the plan will give tax cuts to 95 percent of American workers, putting money in their pockets as they struggle to make ends meet. It will provide an infusion of capital into projects across Pennsylvania that will put people to work modernizing the Commonwealth's roads, bridges and water systems, creating or saving an estimated 3.5 million jobs nationwide and as many as 143,000 here in Pennsylvania. It provides direct aid to the state to help fill the budget gap, stave off cuts to crucial services and provide additional unemployment insurance for workers who have lost their jobs. For greater detail on the funding specific to Pennsylvania, please visit my website at http://casey.senate.gov.

Although I recognize that this recovery bill is not perfect, I voted for it to help President Obama get our economy moving again, to create jobs and to aid those hardest hit by the economy. As you probably know, President Obama recently signed this bill into law.

This bill will not only create and save jobs immediately, but it help us rebuild America for the future, making us more globally competitive and energy independent. The investments it will make in roads, bridges, mass transit, energy efficient building, flood control and clean water projects will have a lasting effect on our economy. The bill's investments in science and innovation will be used to spur new American-made technology, prevent and treat disease, and tackle urgent national challenges like climate change and dependence on foreign oil.

As the Obama Administration moves forward with this plan, I will work with other senators to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in an effective and efficient manner. The new law contains unprecedented transparency and oversight provisions that will allow taxpayers to see how their government spends their money. I encourage you to visit a new website, www.recovery.gov, that has been established so that you can track the implementation of this recovery plan.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator



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Dear Mr. CRAZY NEO-CON (again, I changed that part… PJ) :

Thank you for contacting my office regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. I will keep your thoughts on this matter in mind. Thank you again for writing. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website at http://specter.senate.gov/.

Sincerely,
Arlen Specter

Overheal

unfortunately a lot of that (if not all of that) seems rather canned doesn't it?

"Although I recognize that this recovery bill is not perfect, I voted for it to help President Obama get our economy moving again, to create jobs and to aid those hardest hit by the economy. As you probably know, President Obama recently signed this bill into law. "

Though that sounds the pure truth of it.

Black Swan

Pocono Joe wrote: »

I wrote them before the vote, requesting that they vote NO to the economic stimulus plan as had appeared in its current form at the time.

But PJ, where would the banks get the money to throw one-million dollar parties with rock bands playing? Where would AIG-like corporations get the money to pay for $23,000 of Marriott body rub downs?

And what about those private corporate jets? You cannot expect those fat cat millionaire robber barons to fly in the same plane as us peasants? Someone might notice that they too are human and subject to error, and not gods deserving of their extraordinary wealth based upon our lowly servitude?

And how could some broker survive in this economy if it wasn't for multi-million dollar bonuses paid from tax payer bailouts for their failed work (like the junior portfolio manager who had been employed only 3 months with an investment bank before it failed, receiving 21 million dollars so that he would not have to stand in bread lines with the rest of us)?

Come on now, capitalists are supposed to profit off their failures, with multi-million dollar golden parachuttes, allowing the common folk to offer their life long retirement plans and tax monies to ensure that America still has an elite! I mean, if you didn't offer Wealthfare to failing executives, us common folk might wake up to discover that the capitalist system doesn't work; that trickle down economics never did trickle down far enough to reach us peasants?

Matt Holck

It's way to long and superfluous

Dear CRAZY NEO-CON (I changed that part… PJ):

In 2008, 3.6 million Americans lost their jobs and unemployment soared to 7.2 percent.
In Pennsylvania, 54,300 jobs were lost in a single month between November and December, bringing the state's unemployment rate from 6.2 percent to 6.7 percent.
The state's has looming deficits and local officials may be required to raise taxes to keep running.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 seeks to reverse the economic downturn.
The plan will give tax cuts to 95 percent of American workers.
It will help fund projects across Pennsylvania putting people to work modernizing roads, bridges and water systems, providing around 3.5 million jobs nationwide and up to 143,000 in Pennsylvania.
It provides direct aid to the state to help fill the budget gap. stave off cuts IT provide additional unemployment insurance to those lost their jobs.
For more detail on the funding to Pennsylvania, please visit my website at http://casey.senate.gov.

This bill will not only create and save jobs immediately,
but will help us rebuild America and make us energy independent.
The investments in roads, bridges, mass transit, energy efficient building, flood control and clean water projects will have a lasting effect on our economy.
Investments in science and engineering will spur new American-made technology, prevent and treat disease, and tackle climate change and dependence on foreign oil.

The new law contains transparency and oversight provisions allowing taxpayers to watch how their government spends their money.
A new website, www.recovery.gov, that has been established so that you can track the implementation of this recovery plan.

Please contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.