This week there are a few important votes happening in congress, the Senate will vote on the Bankruptcy Bill, approving $83 Billion for the Iraq War (on top of $300 billion already spent), and the appointment of John Bolton as ambassador to the UN. My letter is below.

I am writing to express my concern about a few upcoming votes, these are the John Bolton nomination to the UN, the Bankruptcy Bill, and the 83 Billion for Iraq Occupation. I urge you to vote no on all of these.
First the Bankruptcy Bill. My mother is 52, after renting apartments her whole life, raising me alone and completing her bachelors degree at 29 she is finally at a point where she can consider buying a house. However she has an outstanding medical debt from a period where she was uninsured, due to this debt she is filing for bankruptcy. Should she have a more difficult time affording a home? Doesn’t it make our society better when people own and take care of their property? The red tape she has had to struggle through this far has been quite enough, I cannot justify adding to the burden. Why don’t we spend our effort drafting policy that will enable all Americans to have permanent healthcare, instead of punishing individuals for a failed system?
In addition to that I know that credit card companies were behind the drafting of this bill and lobbied hard to get congress members to support it. I have no sympathy for these bottom feeders, they should alter their business practices rather than pressuring the government to take care of their problems for them. I do not want my representatives to stand up for a few moneyed interests at the expense of the greater public whom they are supposed to represent. I receive between 5 and 15 credit card advertisements per week, it would seem that their business practices are the problem, not the bankruptcy laws.
The second issue is the money for Iraq. The $300 billion that has gone to Iraq thus far has not been spent wisely and I do not trust those in power to do any better with the latest $83 billion. I am sick and tired of hearing about Halliburton charging $27.5 million to deliver $82,100 worth of propane, $108 loads of laundry and other overcharges from the likes of war profiteers. Do not approve this money, it is a statement that says that irresponsible spending has to stop. I do not expect the US to pack its bags and leave, but the department of defense should realize that it does not have a blank check for this war. After all it is congress that has the power to declare war.
Lastly John Bolton should not be approved. His appointment would be a step in the wrong direction. We should be working to improve relations with our neighbors, and appointing another belligerent spokesperson is not the way to do this. How can we expect countries to make the war in Iraq an international concern when we consistently turn an unsympathetic eye toward their interests?
Thank you for your time. Please make sure that each of my concerns are noted. I hope that I can count on your support regarding these issues.


Sincerely,
David Coffee

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