Cap and trade is not only a tax. Yes, it is the tax. It will raise the cost of everything that has to be shipped. That means you and I will be paying more so the government can get this money. The idea of this bill is to control our energy habits.  In further investigation of the Cap and Trade bill, we can find this bill would send government inspectors into homes to make sure the home is equip for green teleology. Do our elected officials not trust us to make wise decisions? We are the American people. We live in a nation of freedom where we must make decisions for ourselves.

Furthermore, West Virginia coal country will suffer economically from this legislation with an estimated loss of GSP in 2012 of -$275.44 and Non-Farm Job

Loss in 2012 of -3,084 (http://www.wvared.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/West-Virginia-Cap-and-Trade.pdf).

This legislation is bad for personal freedom, bad for West Virginia and bad for America. The house has already passed this legislation. The senate will vote on it in the fall. Senator Byrd has already said he will oppose it. Let’s keep the pressure on Senator Rockefeller. We, the voters, are responsible for holding our elected officials accountable. If we lose our freedom it is because we did not take a stand. Anyone can go to the State Capitol on Saturday, July 18 should go and make their voice heard. Keep writing and calling Senator Rockefeller. Let’s stand up for ourselves, our state, and our nation.


Rockefeller, John D., IV - (D - WV)

531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6472

Web Form: rockefeller.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

I met a couple from California yesterday. The husband said, “Our state is broke and I just want to know where our tax dollars are going.” It seemed to be difficult for him say that his state is broke. He said that their taxes have been raised and teachers have been losing their jobs. He wants know why his state government is making the choices they are making with his money. I met another man from California who told me that Californians are not as the rest of the country pictures. He said that their state government does not reflect the values of the citizens.

In the rest of the country, we feel the same way. We see taxes go up, and sometimes taxes go up and we do not realize it because the way politicians raise the taxes. We see that our country is in debt. We see that other countries are losing faith in the dollar. We wonder where are our tax dollars are going. We have seen the bailouts, and we wonder, “Why is our government making these choices with our money?” We look at our politicians and know that their decisions do not reflect our values of freedom and responsibility.

Our country was founded to be a country in which the values of the people were reflected by the government. It is a country in which the people hold the politicians accountable. On July 4, we will stand up and say, “Enough already.” We want our politicians to know where we stand and that we going to hold them accountable. If they do not listen to the people, they will find out what it is like to be unemployed.

It is wonderful to be in the greatest nation in the world. I am thankful to have been born in the United States of America. However, with the government takeover of the banking and car industries, with czars that are accountable to no one except the president, with a tax system that stifles opportunity, and with a mountain of debt that we will be passing on to our children’s children, the future of the country looks bleak. In this situation, we could find ourselves asking, “Why me?” We could find ourselves saying, “All hope is lost.” We can choose to say, “There is something I can do!” We can choose to say, “I was born for such a time as this, so I will stand up and take my nation back!”

This is still the land of the free and the home of the brave.   We still have the freedom to speak out and let our beliefs be heard. We still have the freedom to choose our leaders. We still have the freedom to say, “We’ve had enough!”  The well being our children hangs in the balance. If we want our children to enjoy the freedom we have enjoyed, we must speak out. If we want our children to enjoy the freedom for which so many people have fought and died, we must speak out. Are we brave enough to take a stand for the future this nation? I think we are.

I am excited about what happened on Wednesday. The people came out to let Washington know that we have had enough runaway spending. It takes courage to stand up for what you believe, but the American people are a courageous people. A friend of mine tried to get a count, but stopped counting when she got to 300. We approximated the turnout to be around 350. That is a great turnout of courageous people for a cold rainy day.

I would like to commend our local media for reporting on the Tea Party. I know some of the national media missed the point of the Tea Parties. They thought it was all about taxes. That is part of it. Maybe there are going to be tax cuts for many Americans, but then from where is the money going to come. Tax increases are coming. A nation cannot spend trillions of dollars without raising taxes to pay the bill. Are we going to pretend we can afford the bill and create the illusion we have the money by printing more? Wait we have already done that. Are going to borrow from other nations raising national debt to massive levels? Oh, we've done that, too. That is why people came out on Wednesday. These are people who care about their children and grandchildren. They do not want to leave an inheritance of debt. These were democrats, republicans, and independents that recognize politicians on both sides have spent our money and the money of future generations. These are people who want their voices to be heard.

What do we do now? We continue to speak. We inform our neighbors; they be not see the same news we do. We write our elected representatives know how we feel and if they do not listen we vote for people to replace them. We write to the news media and tell them what really happened on tax day. If we continue to speak out, someone will listen.

Our government was created to be for the people and by the people. Guess what you are the people. Our first amendment guarantees our right of free speech. The founding fathers wanted a safe guard in place in case the government ever did anything outrageous. They wanted individuals to be able to rise up and say, “This is wrong.” As I watched the spending that has been going on in recent times, I must say, “This is wrong.” I am only one person. I want to hear what other people are saying. I posted three questions to our Facebook page. Why are you coming to the Tea Party? What do you want to see changed about our current economic policies? What do you think each American can do to take our country back? Please give your feedback through this page by posting a comment or going to the “Let Your Voice Be Heard” page. You can also post to our Facebook page, http://apps.facebook.com/causes/256648/25879405ion (see discussion topics).

 

Here are my answers:

Why are you coming to the Tea Party?

I do not want to see this great nation go bankrupt or leave a mountain of debt for our children to pay off.

What do you want to see changed about our current economic policies?

I would like to see a total change to our tax system. The Fair Tax would be a good way to go. For more information on the Fair Tax see our links page. We need to have a favorable business climate, so people can be employed to do jobs that are actually productive. Also, the government needs to be brought down in size. Our government was not meant to do many of the duties that are now preformed by the government. Let’s take a look at the constitution and see what our founding fathers said about the federal government.

What can every American do to take our country back?

We can let our voice be heard not only by attending Tea Parties, also writing letters to the editor of local newspapers and sending letters to our elected representatives. We can send people to Washington who have the courage to make drastic changes to our economic policies. We can, also, take responsibility over our personal finances, not expecting the government to bail us out.

Speak up! Let your voice be heard! Together let’s take our country back!

President Franklin Roosevelt said, "There is nothing to fear except fear itself." However, the new deal like policies being passed today may be a reaction of fear. When the stimulus package was passed we heard that something needs to be done now. Could patience waiting for the market correct itself actually make the recovery quicker. Let's look at history to find out. In 1920 and 1921, the economy took a major hit, but President Warren Harding was not motivated by fear. He let the market do what it was meant to do. Business and banks fell. Was the result a failed economy? No, the result was the roaring twenties. Our economy actually boomed! Under the New Deal, from 1933-1940, the unemployment rate average 17% and taxes tripled.* This kind of tax increase makes it expensive to hire employees. We must not react in fear. Our founding fathers established a nation where free markets and other freedoms prevail. Our country can remain a prosperous nation, but we have to return to the principals of our founding father. Let's make sure the screams of fear do not drown out the ring of freedom.

Please, read the following articles for more information on this subject.

*Powell, Jim. "Not-So-Great Depression." The Cato Institute. January 7, 2009. 7 Apr 2009 http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9880


Buchanan, Pat. "Should We Kill the Fed?." Townhall.com. April 3, 2009.
http://townhall.com/columnists/PatBuchanan/2009/04/03/should_we_kill_the_fed?page=full&comments=true