Contacting legislators  2012

SAFE periodically contacts members of Congress, primarily those from Delaware, with timely comments re subjects on our agenda.  We typically send one-page letters, with references to the SAFE Website for further details. See the recap of letters below.

Individual SAFE members also contact legislators on their own, e.g., by e-mail (through their respective Websites) or telephone.  For convenient reference, here is some contact information for members of Congress from Delaware.

Advocating smaller, more focused, less costly government since 1996

LINK ONE (see below)

May 8, 2012

Via Fax: Representatives Boehner, Pelosi, Brady, Camp, Cantor, Carney, Dicks, Hensarling, Levin, Rogers, Ryan, & Van Hollen; Senators Reid, McConnell, Baucus, Carper, Casey, Coburn, Cochran, Conrad, Coons, Cornyn, Hatch, Inouye, Kyl, Murray, Rubio, Sessions, Toomey, & Wyden

We have repeatedly contacted you and others about the coming fiscal crisis, as in our 3/7/12 letter urging (A) the adoption of a responsible budget for fiscal year 2013, and (B) an overhaul of the US tax system.  If these issues are left for a lame duck Congress to address after the election, the results will almost certainly be unsatisfactory.

The House has now passed a budget package that would represent a major step forward and deserves serious consideration.  It has also endorsed the idea of a tax overhaul although the House Ways and Means Committee needs to flesh out the details; see SAFE’s SimpleTax proposal (LINK TWO) for our ideas.

The Senate leadership reportedly intends to stonewall the House budget without proposing any alternative, thus ensuring nothing will get done before the election. 

The fiscal problem is serious business and no one knows when the roof will cave in.  The time has come for less fancy footwork and a lot more action!

As explained by Senator Tom Coburn in his just published book, “careerism” is the root problem.  “The Debt Bomb” deserves to be read by every member of Congress and their respective staffs.  Our review is posted on SAFE’s website.  LINK THREE

Can Americans count on you to do the right thing?

Sincerely,

William Whipple III

LINK ONE – Search for Secure America’s Future Economy, select SAFE homepage

 http://www.s-a-f-e.org/ (follow us on Twitter)

LINK TWO – Homepage, Taxes, select SimpleTax memo

http://www.s-a-f-e.org/the_simple_tax.htm

LINK THREE – Homepage, Book reviews, select most recent 2012 review

http://www.s-a-f-e.org/Book%20Reviews/debt_bomb.htm

032612
Secure America’s Future Economy

Advocating smaller, more focused, less costly government since 1996 

March 26, 2012

Individually addressed letters, with indicated messages, sent via fax:

A. Representatives Paul Ryan, House Budget Committee chairman, and Dave Camp, House Ways and Means Committee chairman:

We would like to congratulate you, Representative [Dave Camp or Paul Ryan], and the members of your respective committees for the House budget proposal that was unveiled last week.

Implementing this plan will not be easy, especially before the election, but a lot of people are rooting for you.  Here is our analysis of the opposing arguments.

3/26/12 – House budget opponents circle the wagons; their arguments are weak, but they won’t give in easily. http://www.s-a-f-e.org/blog.htm

Please advise if there is anything we can do to help.

B. Representative Chris Van Hollen, ranking minority member of the House Budget Committee:

We think the House Budget proposal represents an overdue reaction to the reckless expansion of government, which has brought this nation to the brink of a financial disaster. 

It is disappointing that, as noted in our blog entry, you seem to want to disassociate yourself and the members of your party from this initiative.

3/26/12 – House budget opponents circle the wagons; their arguments are weak, but they won’t give in easily. http://www.s-a-f-e.org/blog.htm

Hopefully, for the good of the country, you will reconsider.

C. Senator Tom Carper, Senator Chris Coons, and Representative John Carney, from Delaware:

We think the House Budget proposal represents an overdue reaction to the reckless expansion of government, which has brought this country to the brink of a financial disaster. 

The defensive reaction of political opponents is disappointing.  One might conclude that they are more concerned about their political agendas than about finding the best solutions to a grave national problem.

3/26/12 – House budget opponents circle the wagons; their arguments are weak, but they won’t give in easily. http://www.s-a-f-e.org/blog.htm

We hope that you and other Democrats who have a serious interest in solving the fiscal problem will give this report the serious consideration that it deserves.

030712
Secure America’s Future Economy

Advocating smaller, more focused, less costly government since 1996

March 7, 2012

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

With soaring government spending and trillion dollar annual deficits, the United States is hurtling towards a disastrous fiscal meltdown.  Something must done – but what? 

Recent discussions of government spending levels have focused on across-the-board caps, the elimination of “fraud, waste and abuse,” etc., as though all government programs were meritorious.  The premise is false (some programs are a waste of money; others may actually be underfunded), however, and generalized budget controls never work for long.

Our advice would be to go after specific targets, and in a nearly $4 trillion annual budget there are many possibilities. For example: (1) the Department of Energy has made no progress towards energy independence in over 30 years - get rid of it; (2) agricultural subsidies and corporate welfare programs benefit generally prosperous recipients at the expense of the nation as a whole; (3) the states can run their own school systems without federal supervision; (4) Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid must be restructured so these programs will be affordable over the long haul; (5) the 2010 healthcare legislation should be repealed, making way for reforms that would empower patients and their doctors instead of government bureaucrats. http://www.s-a-f-e.org/spendiing.htm

Some say it will be necessary to raise taxes as well, but we would urge every effort to cut spending first.  Experience shows that (A) tax increases are used as an excuse to defer unwelcome spending cuts, and (B) higher tax rates and/or new levies often produce less tax revenue than expected.

This is not to oppose change. The current tax system is a complicated mess, featuring high rates, double taxation of some business income, and a mindboggling assortment of breaks for individuals and businesses meeting the specified requirements.

It would be relatively easy to streamline the system, making it more efficient and economically neutral.  Tax rates could be substantially lowered, yet still bring in more revenue by lessening the drag effect on the economy.  See our SimpleTax proposal.  http://www.s-a-f-e.org/the_simple_tax.htm

Are our spending and tax ideas too “radical” for consideration in an election year?  Congress did very little in 2011 except for clearing a $2.1 trillion debt limit increase, however, and the fiscal problem is too urgent to defer year after year.  It is time to act! 

The president’s latest budget proposal shows large deficits and rising debt for the next decade despite rosy economic assumptions. Projected deficit reduction ($3 trillion net) assumes major tax increases for the well to do and defense cuts. Discretionary domestic spending would actually increase versus baseline, and mandatory spending cuts amount to technical tinkering. http://www.s-a-f-e.org/blog.htm (2/20/12)

1. We hope the House will develop a more responsible budget, as it did in 2011, and the Senate will seriously consider the House’s budget instead of ducking again.  The Senate’s failure to approve a budget since 2009 has not gone unnoticed.  

Although labeled as “reforms,” the president’s tax proposals are misguided. They would raise effective tax rates in many cases and further complicate a system already tottering under its own weight. http://www.s-a-f-e.org/blog.htm (2/27/12)

2. We would encourage the House Ways and Means Committee to get cracking on a serious tax overhaul instead of marking time until November. Maybe the Senate would get on board, maybe not, but at least the voters would know where the two parties stand on tax policy, e.g., the “fair share” of taxes to be paid by high, average, and lower income individuals, when they cast their ballots.

Finally, opinion polls show Congressional approval ratings are in the basement and a majority of Americans believe this country is headed in the wrong direction.  Some observers say this reflects a deepening of the partisan divide, which works against compromising differences to get things done.

Harmony is a good thing, all other things being equal, but there is no reason to believe the budget can be balanced by “splitting the difference” between the two party’s fiscal goals.  What good is compromise when neither party has demonstrated an adequate sense of urgency about cutting spending or reforming the tax system?

We also doubt voters are disillusioned with Congress simply because the members do not “play nice.”  The real point, in our opinion, is a public perception that the nation’s political leaders are obsessed with staying in office versus making the best decisions for the nation. 

This is not merely conservative rhetoric. Harvard Law School (hardly a bastion of conservatism) Professor Robert Bordone painted a similar picture in a National Journal interview last December.  “It seems like instead of thinking what would be good for the American people or the nation,” he said, “[politicians] are thinking what will be good for my election.” http://www.s-a-f-e.org/blog.htm (3/5/12)

3. We would urge the members of Congress to think outside the box.  How about having a serious, on the record review of what government programs should be eliminated, how entitlement programs should be restructured, and what the tax system should look like, if this nation is to avert catastrophe.

It would not be possible to settle all of these issues in 2012, of course, but perhaps the members could make a down payment on the problems that have been allowed to accumulate over the past half century.

4. As for the voters, they must start paying more attention to what is going on in Washington if they truly hope America’s best days lie ahead.  Otherwise, they will inevitably be disappointed.

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020112
Secure America’s Future Economy
Advocating smaller, more focused, less costly government since 1996

February 1, 2012

To: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

From: SAFE

Did the White House speechwriters stumble across our “to do” list for Congress (1/16/12 blog entry) and decide to contradict every point in the State of the Union address?  Probably not, but they might as well have, because the two messages are irreconcilable. 

Having thoughtfully considered what the president had to say, we would urge you to get started on SAFE’s list – right away!  Here are our proposals again, updated to reflect the SOTU remarks and other recent developments.

1. Extend the payroll tax cut for the remainder of this year – it’s a bad idea, but a deal is a deal – with appropriate offsets to minimize the fiscal damage.  Perhaps something can be done about limiting unemployment benefits; 99 weeks is too long!

2. Recess appointments are a historical anachronism, and presidents of both parties have abused this privilege.  It’s time for Congress to stop the games by proposing a Constitutional amendment to terminate Article II, Section 2, Paragraph 3.   

3. Approve a budget for fiscal year 2013, hopefully cutting spending in the process.  We cannot imagine why Congress has stopped complying with its own budget rules and seems to have so little concern about running up the National Debt.

4. Don’t argue about the expiring Bush tax cuts in December; overhaul the tax system now.  Revenue should be collected in a manner that is simple, efficient, and fair.  Our tax plan (http://www.s-a-f-e.org/the_simple_tax.htm) may represent a useful template.

For discussion and references, see SAFE offers DC a “to do” list for 2012 (1/16/12) and SOTU finesses fiscal responsibility (1/30/12).    http://www.s-a-f-e.org/blog.htm,

If we can help further, please let me know.

Respectfully,

William Whipple III, President
Secure America’s Future Economy

(302) 464-2688

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January 18, 2012

Copies to: Senators Reid & McConnell, members of Senate Finance Committee; Representatives Boehner & Pelosi, members of House Ways and Means Committee; members of Congress from Delaware

Congress’s most notable action in 2011 was to set the conditions for a $2.1 trillion increase in the national debt.  We would like to suggest a four-point “to do” list that might help to make 2012 a better year.  Each of the items will likely be addressed anyway, so why not tackle them in a timely and systematic manner? 

1. Extend the payroll tax cut for the remainder of this year – a bad idea in principle, but a deal is a deal – with appropriate offsets to minimize the fiscal damage.  Action is required by the end of February.  We would hope the president will make the deal more palatable by giving a “green light” to the Keystone XL Pipeline.

2. Address the recess appointment issue in a constructive manner.  As we see it, the most promising approach would be for Congress to propose a Constitutional amendment to terminate Article II, Section 2, Paragraph 3. Legislators on both sides of the aisle should support such an amendment as a means of maintaining respect for Congress as an institution.  

3. Approve a budget for fiscal year 2013 in compliance with the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974.  Not only should Congress comply with its own budget rules, as it has failed to do for several years, but the discipline of developing a budget might prove helpful in achieving some significant spending cuts.

4. Start work to overhaul the tax system instead of waiting until December to decide what to do about the expiring Bush tax cuts and quite possibly making some bad decisions under time pressure.  Piecemeal consideration of tax law changes is inherently inefficient, and has contributed to degradation of the system over time.

For discussion and references, see “SAFE offers DC a ‘to do’ list for 2012,” http://www.s-a-f-e.org/blog.htm (1/16/12).  We would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have.

Respectfully,

William Whipple III, President
Secure America’s Future Economy

(302) 464-2688

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