Udall's political actions hurt economy and New Mexicans

Editor,

This is an open letter to Senator Tom Udall:
Thanks for the wonderful e-mail sharing your accomplishment in marking Thursday, Nov. 19 as National Feed America Day.

This is no doubt in response to the incredible guilt you must feel from costing so many Americans and New Mexicans their jobs, their security, their retirement savings, etc. I know you voted to support the most recent Troubled Assets Relief Program bailout last spring. The bill allowed for hundreds of billions of our tax dollars — strike that — hundreds of billions of future tax dollars — to be used now to boost the economy and help build jobs, save jobs that were in jeopardy and support our lending institutions. Well, we can tell now how well that worked out, can’t we?

At the time, you supported the ideas and principles that went against most economists’ projections and voted to approve the expenditures. Now our national debt is four times what it was when President Bush left office. Our great-grandchildren will never be finished paying off this massive, unwise, and unnecessary expense that failed to produce jobs, that failed to save our banking systems and that failed to curb the unemployment rates. Mine was one of many voices that cried out for you to stop the process, but you bullied forward. Now unemployment is at 10.2 percent, and new projections say it will grow to be over 12 percent by the end of the year with no respite in sight.

In some communities, such as the African American population, the rates are approaching 20 percent. In groups measuring unemployment of high school and college-age Americans, it is already approaching 25 percent.

Now you are getting ready to save our health care — scratch that — increase our health insurance value — scratch that — widen our health care opportunities; once again, mine is one of many voices out there crying for you to stop this process.
Please do not support the government takeover of our health care system. The federal government is in no position to take over, change or alter the way we are getting our health care. There are no people in America without health care. No one in this country is without resources to procure health care. There are clinics, there are hospitals and there exist a plethora of community health centers. The American people are crying out for you to stop this now. We don’t want the government to make it worse, more expensive and more convoluted. The U.S. Postal Service recently posted losses over $3 billion this year. Medicaid and Medicare are corrupt. Hundreds of millions of dollars are unaccounted for and paid to scammers and swindlers every year and the government does nothing.

Soon you’ll be voting on the Cap and Trade bill. We know this bill will cost New Mexicans their jobs. We know this will start with an initial tax increase that will cost the average family of $1,800 each year, and grow larger every year. We know this will shut down small businesses across the country. We are asking you to stop this bill. I am asking you to reconsider the principles you are following and realize that they are wrong for America and wrong for New Mexico. The initiatives that you have voted for have all failed. Economists are screaming that you and your cohorts in Congress are driving a fast car along a very short pier. America cannot continue to prosper and will not heal itself without growing small businesses, creating more jobs and limiting the size and scope of the federal government.

Your actions are hurting New Mexico. We need a representative who looks after our state and our people before saving the world and creating a dynasty. Save New Mexico and allow us the opportunity to create that dynasty for you. But, alas, we do have you to thank for Feed America Day. Thank you for your sincerity, your wonderful intentions and your letter. It’s very important that our elected leaders continue to stay in touch with their constituents.

Matthew Waters
Daily Lobo reader