Dear Senator Durbin:
Congratulations on paying more ransom to the people holding our government hostage while they destroy basic subsistence programs for the poor, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, science, and environmental protections. President Clinton seemed to have a better sense of how to say no to people that want to protect the unborn but then let the already born starve, live in squalor, and die from lack of medical care. But we all know those were different times.
There has been much talk of shared sacrifice. I was hoping you could help me understand a few things about the sacrifices we supposedly share.
I was wondering if you could help me locate the sacrifices made by the wealthiest of Americans. They have not even been asked to give up their tax cuts that were supposed to expire. The less fortunate Americans have lost their jobs, homes, retirement security, and hope for the future, yet are expected to make more sacrifices.
I was also wondering if you could help me locate the sacrifices made by the largest corporations. They have been reporting record profits while hiring fewer Americans and paying them less, but are demanding a lower corporate tax rate. Many have even used loopholes to avoid paying any taxes. Small businesses that make up Main Street have been struggling to survive in the worst economic downturn since the Depression. Many will never recover.
Finally, I was wondering if you could help me locate the sacrifices by the financial institutions whose irresponsible actions helped propel us into recession. We the taxpayer helped make them whole.
I would ask these questions of the junior senator from Illinois, but I find no evidence of conscience or compassion in reading his tea leaves.
It has been over four decades since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered. Since his death, voices for justice and fairness have been replaced by those calling greed good and compassion a vice.
Tell me, Sir, where you stand. I am no longer certain.
Sincerely yours
A constituent