An open letter to Congress

A re-injury to my back has sidelined the bathroom remodel project for a while.  So until it heals, I have time to do some writing.  I just sent the attached letter to Senators Cornyn and Hutchison, and Representative McCaul.

"Dear (Texas Senator/Representative),

I am terrified by the realization that our country is on a course of financial destruction and all the unspeakable results that will bring. I am mostly fearful for our children and their descendants who will have to live with the results of our actions. A significant milestone is approaching August 2 when again Congress will be asked to raise the federal debt ceiling and thus approve the additional borrowing that would entail. Financial destruction is not a certainty, but it is if Congress doesn’t take corrective action. We have a critical, life or death problem and extreme, drastic action is required.

Please do not vote for raising the debt ceiling. I do not understand how anyone can argue for a contingent raising of the ceiling. For example, “I will vote for raising the debt ceiling if we also reduce spending to x.” If a family is deep in debt, how sensible is it for them to say: We’ll keep borrowing money and going more in debt until we can get our spending under control? No, common sense demands that they immediately curtail both their borrowing and spending, and begin repaying the debt. Any respectable debt counselor will advise that the first step is to cut up the credit cards. How much more important is it for our federal government to behave the same? Anything less is grossly irresponsible and an abdication of the responsibility we’ve entrusted to our elected representatives. The administration’s threat of a default on the nation’s debt is a false either/or argument. We don’t have to and should not default on our contractual obligations. We simply need to cut spending to match our revenue.

Please do not vote to raise taxes in any form. I see discussions about removing tax breaks and subsidies for certain industries and groups. For example, President Obama is suggesting killing breaks for the oil and gas industry. If done, any resulting additional taxes would be passed on as higher gasoline and home heating costs to the consumer, further depressing the economy. While I abhor giving special treatment to any industry or group, fixing this problem should not be done at the expense of today’s dismal economy. The path back to prosperity is to significantly reduce the size of government and its interference in the free economy that made this country great.

Please balance the budget now! By now, I mean in this session of Congress. We don’t need a constitutional amendment to do this. Why do we need ten years to balance the budget? Why should we continue to inflict additional debt upon the nation, when debt is the problem? We just need senators and representatives who will make the hard decisions they have been elected to make. I’m not suggesting it’s easy. It’s not. But I know it is doable, as we would only have to roll back spending to very recent levels.

In the longer term, please support a project to remove all special tax code treatment of industries and groups. The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to pick winners and losers. But more importantly, doing so harms the majority and the general economy. A somewhat trivial case in point: the federal cap on sugar imports causes Americans to have to settle for drinking sodas sweetened with corn syrup rather than the artificially more expensive cane sugar, while the rest of the world drink better-tasting sodas. Another example: As my wife and I returned from a recent trip to Mississippi, we drove past a huge farm with a private airfield and large mansion. I commented that “We helped pay for those.” I was of course referring to farm subsidies. How is that morally right?

Also, in hopefully calmer times in the future, we need to abolish the immoral income tax, further reduce the size of government, and restore our Republic to the greatness she once claimed.

May God bless and strengthen you in your endeavors to save our country."