Before I get into this, is it me or is Obamamaniac McCaskill like a Mini-me or Identical Cousin to Hillary Clinton? She is like Hillary lite or something.... anyway... here is her letter, my response follows:
From: Senator McCaskill [mailto:senator_mccaskill@mccaskill.senate.gov] Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 2:32 PMTo: Subject: From the Desk of Senator Claire McCaskill
Dear Mr. XXXXX:
I just want to set the record straight in regards to the recently passed Economic Recovery Act.First, this legislation provides one of the largest tax cuts in American history. Unlike tax cuts passed in the Bush administration, these tax cuts will go to most people who live in Missouri, instead of primarily helping those people who make more than a million dollars a year. Almost one third of the bill, over $247 billion, will go back directly into the pockets of hard working, middle class families and individuals. Also included are a series of important tax cuts for small businesses that are the engine of our economy. These small businesses will be a big help in creating jobs to get us out of this economic mess.Second, this legislation provides a massive investment in our roads, bridges, electric grid, railways, alternative energy, rural broadband, and scientific research. Jobs, jobs, jobs – millions of jobs. Within hours of the President signing the bill, Missouri was the first state to put people to work as MoDOT began fixing a dangerous bridge over the Osage River near Tuscumbia using the additional federal dollars for Missouri’s highways. We will receive $637.1 million in additional funds for Missouri roads and bridges.There is a lot of misinformation about this legislation out there. All of the spending in this bill is through formula funding or competitive grants or loans. There are no earmarks. The money in the bill for rapid transit will be available to eight different high traffic corridors in our country, and they must compete for those funds. There is no bullet train to Las Vegas in this bill. Yes there is some funding for helping American manufacturers build alternative energy products, including batteries. Once again, this will create jobs and has the added benefit of getting us out from under the thumb of foreign oil. This legislation is not perfect, but the Chamber of Commerce, most Republican governors in this country, economic experts, and the National Association of Manufacturers supported it. And the alternative was to do nothing. With thousands of Missourians losing their jobs every month, doing nothing just didn’t cut it for me. I’m proud I was able to work with some of my Republican colleagues to take some spending out of this bill that wasn’t going to create jobs and add oversight and accountability. We have to remember that America can handle any problem that comes along. Our work ethic and ingenuity will prevail. This tax cut and stimulative spending will not cure the illness, but it will stop the bleeding. Together the tough grit of the American people will ultimately cure the illness. Don’t bet on failure, not in America.
All best,
Senator Claire McCaskill
Dear Senator McCaskill, I truly do appreciate the response, however I have a differing opinion. I have never received a job from a person who is poor. Taxing wealthy people more only lessens the incentive for anyone to create a job. When taxes on large businesses and wealthy people are increased, they will choose to cut jobs, benefits, or close the doors before their wages or their shareholder return suffers. History proves time and time and time again to raise revenues one must lower taxes. JFK knew this, as did Reagan. There is no verifiable way to determine that this is going to create millions of jobs, and you cannot calculate a saved job. Right now the only sector of the economy growing is the government. At some point the people who truly generate revenue will no longer be able to pay for all the Government workers who are basically paid for by all the people in the private sector. I appreciate the fact that roads and bridges in this state are being improved. However if I lived in another state I might not see the advantage to the residents of my state for our tax dollars to be spent by another state. Similarly I do not much care for my tax dollars being spent in another state. Each state should take care of their own. If I cannot afford something at my household, I am not allowed to take something from my neighbor. States and Tax dollars should be the same way. To say that the ERA does not contain earmarks is a play on semantics, the entire bill is chock full of pet projects that have been back burnered in previous sessions of congress and primarily serve the interests of elected officials. I, unlike apparently most senators or staff, have read almost all of it. I agree there is a lot of misinformation being circulated. However I believe you and I would differ on the sources and the content of such information. Winston Churchill said that you could put two economists in a room and they would come out with three opinions. I do not trust Economists, they are like sleazy expert trial witnesses, there is always one with a alternate opinion. I believe history and history has proven, and common sense dictates, that overspending in a time of economic recession fuels a depression. Economists might say that the New Deal helped, Historians strongly disagree. High speed rail is not going to help anyone in Missouri. Missouri is a primarily rural state. I will never, nor will anyone who lives outside of the two largest cities in the state benefit from a passenger rail service. This is a farce. AMtrak has been kept on life support for years by federal subsidy, and the reason is because it is not a competititve service. Wind energy is promising, but as I understand some of the programs now, there is not even a requirement that they be hooked to the grid once installed. I do not buy into all the hyperbole surrounding anthropogenic climate change. The whole thing is a theory put forth by scientists who are funded by grants from the government. The Governmenet sees the issue as a great way to increase taxes, amass power, and control people. I am in favor of rural broadband, but explain to me how that stimulates job growth? Cable installers? That is not a long term job. I am seriously and strenuously against all forms of SmartGrid, but I would be in favor of burying all electric lines so that when another major ice storm hits we do not have to spend millions in repair. However, I have not heard of any such proposals, in fact I see new power line poles everywhere I go in the state. The best thing we could do to get out from under the thumb of foreign oil would be to drill here at home. Batteries are all fine and good, but I am not too certain how fast batteries will help the fuel usage of planes, ships, heavy equipment, and OTR trucks. I believe in an “all of the above” approach. Once again, Missouri is a rural state and largely agricultural, therefore while electric vehicles are good and can reduce fuel usage they are not going to help food prices due to the cost of Diesel for tractors and OTR trucks. Electric cars are not going to help plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and other service industries who must rely on light and medium duty trucks to provide their services and earn their living, pay their taxes and fund the entitlements. The choice is not between “Thousands of Missourians to lose their Jobs or Nothing”. That is a fallacy in logic. The choice should be between responsible governmental action and allowing the free market to correct, or out of control governmental spending which is going to eventually raise taxes and leave debts to future generations. No one has ever suggested doing nothing, in fact I would be in favor of cutting government spending, lowering taxes on capital gains, and business taxes to increase the number of companies coming to Missouri. This issue is not Democrats vs. Republicans. The issue is the People vs. Government. This is the point many of your colleagues are missing with the “Tea Parties.” I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I am a Fiscal Conservative/Consititutionalist. I believe in personal liberty and responsibility and limited government. The Government in this situation created the problem, as they usually do. I agree with you that the stimulate spending will not cure the illness, the only thing it will stimulate is Government. I do believe there is a good chance that the economy will recover despite all the Governmental malfeasance. I do believe eventually the grit of the American people will cure the illness, but I suspect that you and I would disagree on the nature of the illness or the cure. Very Sincerely,
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