A Letter on August 18, 2011 to a citizen from Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois in response to the citizen’s letter concerning the recent debt increase fiasco.
(And the citizen’s response in all capital letters.)
Knowing of your interest in the recent spending debate, I am writing to update you on my recent vote in support of the Budget Control Act, S. 365, to prevent federal default and avoid any delay in checks to Medicare and Social Security recipients. SENATOR, THIS ISN’T WHAT S. 365 WAS ABOUT. WHY DIDN’T YOU SPEAK UP AGAINST ANY HOLDUP ON THE DEBT LEVEL INCREASE WHILE WE WERE ALL SUFFERING, WHILE THE VALUE OF U.S. SECURITIES WERE PLUMMMETING AND BEFORE OUR CREDIT RATING IN THE WORLD DROPPED…COSTING EACH CITIZEN HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AND THE NATION HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS? While this bill begins our effort to control federal spending and protect our economic future, I advocate that Congress skip its scheduled August recess to stay in session and cut more. A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT AND A FEEBLE RESPONSE, SENATOR. YOU OFFER TO “STAY IN SESSION”…A MEANINGLESS GESTURE AND AN INSULT TO OUR INTELLIGENCE.
Because the federal government currently borrows 40 cents of every dollar it spends, (SENATOR, YOU VOTED FOR ALL THOSE DEBTS. YOU AND YOUR PALS IN THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS FROM 2001 TO 2006…UNTIL DEMOCRATS RE-ESTABLISHED PAYGO…INCURRED ALL THOSE DEBTS. YOU…YOU…CREATED THIS DEBT.) credit rating agencies and leading economists recommended cuts of no less than $4 trillion from future spending and borrowing. That is why I supported the bipartisan Deficit Reduction Commission Report and the “Gang-of-Six” effort to cut trillions more from federal spending. THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT’S PLAN, WHICH BASICALLY FOLLOWED THE DEFICIT REDUCTION COMMISSION’S RECOMMMENDATIONS, SENATOR? WERE YOU (YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER…WE KNOW THE ANSWER) INTIMIDATED BY THE TEA PARTY RADICALS? BY THE WAY, SENATOR, AGAIN…THIS IS YOUR DEBT AND GEORGE W. BUSH’S DEBT…NOT LITTLE OLD LADIES IN PEORIA. YOU WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOATED SPENDING SPREE…LAUGHING AND GIGGLING DURING THE BUDGET MEETINGS THAT YOU WERE A PART OF (WE HAVE THE C-SPAN TAPES, SENATOR) ABOUT THE HUGE SPENDING THAT YOU AND YOUR PAL JIM NUSSLE THOUGHT, AND STILL THINK, YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH.
Please Click Here for the bipartisan Deficit Reduction Commission Report
Given the current balance of power in the Executive Branch and Congress, the Budget Control Act was the best cut in spending we could achieve at this time. In short, the bill:
– Cuts $900 billion over ten years from planned spending in discretionary accounts of the government that spends about one in three taxpayer dollars,
– Cuts a further $1.5 trillion from automatic spending (entitlement programs) that spend two-thirds of taxpayer dollars (EXCUSE ME, SENATOR. THOSE ARE INSURANCE PREMIUMS PAID IN BY THOSE SAME TAXPAYERS YOU SPEAK OF. YOU MAY HAVE BORROWED THOSE FUNDS, YOU AND YOUR WAR MONGERING REPUBLICAN FRIENDS AND YOU CAN DEFAULT—WHICH WOULDN’T SURPRISE ME—IF YOU WANT—BUT THAT WOULD FINALLY INDEED BE THAT “PONZI SCHEME” THAT YOU SEEM TO THINK SOCIAL SECURITY REPRESENTS. VALID INSURANCE IS NOT A PONZI SCHEME, SENATOR, NOR IS A PAID-IN, PAID-UP RETIREMENT STIPEND. AND SENIORS HAVE PAID ALL THEIR LIVES INTO IT.) through legislation written by a bipartisan Joint House-Senate Committee with powers to ensure up or down votes in the House and Senate. Should this committee initiative fail, more automatic spending reductions would ensure that promised savings will be realized. SO YOU WANT TO CUT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE PROGRAMS BUT NOT THE WARS. YOU WANT TO CUT THE ONLY MEANS OF SURVIVAL…LITERALLY…FOR LITTLE OLD LADIES…BUT NOT ONE DIME OF TAX INCREASES ON BILLIONAIRES OR MILLIONAIRES OR ON THOSE INCOMES AVERAGING $380,000, WHICH INCOMES NOW PAY AN AVERAGE OF LESS THAN 20% IN ACTUAL OUTLAY TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE GOOD LIFE THAT THEY (AT THIS POINT, STILL) ENJOY IN THIS COUNTRY. THERE WAS NO BI-PARTISAN AGREEMENT NOT TO INCREASE REVENUES. YOU LEFT THAT OUT, DIDN’T YOU, SENATOR.
– Requires that the Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution will be voted on without further delay this fall by the House and Senate. If approved, this amendment needs no signature by the President before going to the States. If 3/4 of States approve, the Constitution is amended. SENATOR, YOU ARE A TRAITOR TO ALL DECENT AMERICANS. YOU VOTED FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WHICH YOU KNOW—BECAUSE YOU AND BUSH AND CHENEY AND RUMSFELD AND ALL THE REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE SPENT AND GAVE AWAY OUR TAX MONEY TO MILITARY CONTRACTORS LIKE HALLIBURTON AND BLACKWATER—WILL REQUIRE DRASTIC CUTS IN SOCIAL SERVICES. YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO EVEN RESPOND TO ME WITH A LIE LIKE THIS. LYING TO CONSTITUENTS IS A FOOLISH AND DANGEROUS BUSINESS SENATOR. AMERICANS CANNOT BE FOOLED, ALL OF US, EVEN THE ONES WHO VOTED FOR YOU…ALL THE TIME. THEN…WATCH OUT.
– Allows the President to request $900 billion in increases to the debt limit, and another $1.5 trillion once the $1.5 trillion reduction to automatic spending reforms is submitted to Congress or the Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution is sent to the states. SENATOR, IF YOU WERE A TRUE PATRIOT AND A DECENT CITIZEN, RATHER THAN THE LOBBYIST PANDERING CRETIN THAT YOU ARE, YOU WOULD HAVE VOTED LONG AGO TO RAISE THE DEFICIT, INCREASE REVENUES, END THE WARS, CLOSE THE TAX LOOPHOLES AND BEGIN TO FIND WAYS TO CREATE JOBS. BUT YOU CAN’T BECAUSE YOU ARE A LOBBYIST-PANDERING LIAR.
The Budget Control Act prevented American default and ensured the prompt fulfillment of our commitments to Social Security beneficiaries, veterans and Medicare patients. EXCUSE ME, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOME KIND OF VICTORY? FIRST OF ALL, YOU WERE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE…YOU WERE ONE OF THE ONES, REMEMBER–THE ONES CALLED REPUBLICANS, WHO HAVE VOTED AGAINST EVERY PROGRESSIVE MEASURE—EVERY CITIZEN-FOCUSED MEASURE BROUGHT BEFORE CONGRESS—SINCE YOU WERE ELECTED. YOU AND YOUR PALS HAVE FILIBUSTERED—WHICH ACTUALLY MEANS “VETOED” OVER 200 BILLS THAT WOULD HAVE CREATED MILLIONS OF JOBS! WHY DO YOU THINK WE ARE ANGRY WITH YOU, SENATOR…BECAUSE YOU USE THE WRONG KIND OF DEODERANT? YOU’RE A RIGHT-WINGER, A NAZI, PORTRAYING HIMSELF AS SOME KIND OF “INDEPENDENT THINKER” WHEREAS YOU VOTE EVERY SINGLE TIME WITH THE DEEP SOUTH…PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SECEDE FROM THE UNION–RACISTS, BIGOTS, AND FASCISTS!
While only a first step, it will increase the transparency, performance and results we should demand from America’s government. By cutting spending and only allowing debt of equal amounts, this bill avoids an immediate crisis and set the precedent of reforming and reducing automatic spending by the federal government. GOBBLEDEEGOOK. WHAT YOU DID WAS RAISE THE DEBT CEILING. WHAT YOU DIDN’T DO WAS TRY TO FIX ANY OF THE PROBLEMS CURRENTLY VEXING THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. YOU’RE A STAIN ON THE HISTORY OF POLITICS IN ILLINOIS…AND THAT KIND OF DISTINCTION, IN THIS STATE’S HISTORY, IS DIFFICULT TO ACCOMPLISH.
Thank you for taking the time to contact me on this issue. Please feel free to contact me at (312) 886-3506 or online athttp://kirk.senate.gov if you have any questions or concerns before Congress or the federal government. It is an honor to serve you in the Senate. HONOR? YOU ARE HONORED? WHY DON’T YOU ACT LIKE YOU ARE HONORED INSTEAD OF PANDERING TO A BUNCH OF BIILLIONAIRES AND GLOBAL CORPORATIONS. THERE IS NO DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD DO THIS OR THAT. THE RECORD IS CLEAR. YOU SIMPLY THINK THAT FOX NEWS AND THE THOUSANDS OF RIGHT WING COMMENTATORS AND RADIO STATIONS WILL SHIELD YOU FROM THE VOTERS OF ILLINOIS ONCE THEY KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU? YOUR “HONOR” IS A DISHONOR TO THE REST OF US AND WE’RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
Very truly yours,
