Senator Bond,
My name is Duane Lester. I am one of your constituents and a registered Republican.
I will not be voting for you again.
I have a wife and four children. Last year I made a little shy of $50,000. I earned that much by working quite a bit of overtime. I am able to fully cover my family with health insurance.
Yesterday, September 27, 2007, you joined with the Senate Democrats and a few other so-called Republicans to pass the expanded State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP bill.
Let me tell you exactly what this means.
It means that government has taken the place of charities and personal responsibility. Federal taxes will be raised, albeit on cigarettes, but it is still the government taking the property of citizens and redistributing it to where it thinks it should be. Where does this bill say it should be, Senator? According to the expanded SCHIP, federal taxes will possibly be given to a family of four that earns anywhere from $61,000, up to $82,000. There is no excuse for someone not to be providing for themselves at that level of income.
It could also be given to a “child” up to the age of 25. This SCHIP expansion redefines a child to be anyone up the age of 25. There is already a great health care system available to “children” of this age. All they have to do is enlist. However, I am now responsible for providing for these “children.”
This expansion is estimated to cost $35 billion dollars. I cannot believe that tab will be covered by a simple hike in federal cigarette taxes. The federal government is already spending more than it makes. The cost of this program will eventually either be taken out of my income taxes, or simply added to the already enormous national debt. One way or another, I will end up paying for this. And so will my children. It isn’t right.
I make sacrifices to provide for my family, yet you and the other members of Congress, who have forgotten what “limited government” means, disregard my effort, loot my check and redistribute my money to people with fewer dependents and more income. While I take personal responsibility for my family, I am also held accountable for others who have the means, yet fail to provide for those dependent upon them. You promote this idea with your vote.
I imagine there are many children who benefit from this program. But the program has no place in the federal government. It is not the role of government to provide for the people. Its role is to provide a safe, free environment for people to provide for themselves. Those who fail or refuse to accept personal responsibility should turn to charities, churches and family. I should not be compelled to provide for them. I gladly give to charities and churches, and I help my family when they need it. What you are doing removes the choice, and forces me to do it at the end of a gun. If I refuse to pay my taxes, I go to jail.
Give the American people the opportunity and they will help one another. That is true compassion. It still exists, but there is little incentive to give to charities when government compels people to “donate.” Compelled compassion is no compassion at all.
I have contacted your office before concerning your loose use of federal money. I have written e-mails and placed phone calls condemning your earmarks. Yet I held out hope that you might someday remember the foundation of the Republican party: fiscal responsibility, limited government, personal responsibility. I can see now my hope was misplaced.
I’m sure you and your brethren accept this role of government on the basis of promoting the general Welfare. Hogwash. That is not, nor was it ever, meant to be the meaning. Consider the following quote from James Madison, the father of the Constitution:
“With respect to the words general welfare, I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators.” – James Madison, Letter to James Robertson, April 20, 1831 _Madison_ 1865, IV, pages 171-172
I am confident that President Madison had a clearer understanding of the Constitution than the current members of our government. I am certain he understood it better than you, Senator.
The Republicans lost control of the Congress because they have forgotten what their constituents valued. We remain steadfast in our love of liberty. Because of that love, I will remain a member of the Republican party, only to cleanse it of people like yourself. We have to police our own.
I am ashamed to have you as my Senator. I look forward to your unemployment.
Sincerely,
Duane Lester
