My letter to Mr. Baird

I got on Brian Baird's website today to get the link for my earlier post. I noticed a poll there where he asks us to "share our thoughts".

Given the current economic situation, which of the following impact your financial situation most?
Education costs
Food prices
Energy prices
Health care costs
Housing costs

It didn't list my biggest concern as an option, so I wrote an email instead:

I see your poll on your home page lists nearly everything under the sun when asking what concerns us most financially; except for "cost of government."

I submit to you, that we can handle everything else if our taxes were lower, and the costs of everything weren't being constantly ratcheted up to cover costs of regulatory compliance and government inefficiency.

I don't want future generations paying for Socialist policies that we already know are doomed to failure. I don't want to pay for programs now that are failing and have been since before I was born. John Kerry's one of your guys, let's paraphrase him: "Who wants to be the last generation to pay for mistakes?" I'd almost be okay with it being my generation, if I knew we would truly be the last.

I recently read an article on the increase in size of the CFR. I have been aware of this for a long time, but this puts it in pretty stark terms. You would go far in my estimation if you were to champion the cause of reducing legislation. Delay and obfuscate, throw a spanner in the works. Form a committee to go through older legislation and write bills to remove the silliest and msot harmful. That should keep people occupied in Congress.

I know you all think that since we elected you as legislators, you have to go write legislation. It's a common fallacy. Please, do not feel obligated to write more legislation, let's just get rid of some of it. Do not feel obligated to provide services for us; we can do it ourselves. We don't want what you're peddling, don't give it to us "for our own good"; we know our own individual circumstances better than you ever could.