Poor Being Imprisoned For Debt in USA

Just recently, a relative was arrested for shoplifting.  Without going into details, I will tell you she has been living off and on the streets for five years following a brutal event in her life culminating in the destruction of her successful career and comfortable life.  Her story, although tragic, is far too common, epitomizing how the mental health and justice systems in this country fail the mentally ill and persecute the poor. 

This blog will only address a small part of that problem and will discuss how the poor are being jailed for their inability to pay fines and fees levied on them by the Justice System.  Although I have provided four different sites supporting the following facts, there are thousands.  Simply search DEBTORS PRISONS IN THE US.

FACT:  Literally thousands of poor and indigent individuals in our nation are being imprisoned for debt. Sadly, most of those caught in this unconstitutional practice are like my relative...doomed because she is poor. (a) (b) 

Carl Takei's article, "Courts Should Stop Jailing People for Being Poor", (b) points out some blatant facts: "Courts have found that incarcerating people for debts they couldn’t afford to pay violates the 14th Amendment. Further, it creates hardships for men and women who already struggle with re-entering society after being released from prison or jail, and wastes resources in an often fruitless effort to extract payments. In an age when more Americans are deprived of their liberty than ever before, unnecessarily and unfairly, we should be shutting down debtors’ prisons, not creating more of them."

Obviously, releasing people from jail incarcerated simply because they can't pay their fees, would empty a lot of beds, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for the taxpayers.  That's a given and will not be discussed in this blog.  I want my readers to focus on the injustice of this all and the fact our elected representatives are doing nothing to stop it.  Instead of correcting a situation violating our rights under the Constitution of the United States, they continue to allow this practice while wasting time legislating personal morals, their rich benefactors money demands or letting our country come to the brink of financial ruin.

Because so much information is simply a click away on the internet supporting the truth of this blog and very little denying it, I will let the words of others confirm the truth of today's subject while I convey how this nightmare is hitting in my home and eating away at the life of my relative.

She is a first time offender at 30 years of age needing money to get home and see her critically ill Mother. After trying to borrow the money without success, in her mind, the only course of action was the one that landed her in jail...She tried stealing something to sell and get the money she so desperately desired.  She got caught.   She pleaded guilty, got deferred adjudication and 5 years probation.  Then, American Justice kicked in.

1. THE CHARGES DON'T FIT THE CRIME:  First, she was charged with a felony robbery when all she stole was a $79 rechargeable battery for a drill.  Why?  After she realized the store staff knew she had stolen something, they started chasing her. She stopped inside the store and dropped her purse where she had hidden the battery.  At least five adult male employees of the hardware store grabbed her and violently held her down until the cops arrived.  She repeatedly begged them to let go because they were hurting her.  Even though she had stopped and wasn't running, they did not relent.  She bit the one twisting her arm.  For this reason, her small theft of a battery became a felony. 
2. THE TRUTH OF COURT APPOINTED ATTORNEYS:  Unlike you see on TV, court-appointed attorneys don't come running to the rescue of those unable to pay.  As a matter of fact, her attorney never came to see her until they went to court, made no attempts to get the case reduced to a misdemeanor due to the extenuating circumstances or bothered to contact her when her court date was postponed multiple times.  He did talk to her once on the phone. 
3. PRISONERS, UNABLE TO MAKE BAIL, SIT IN JAIL FOR UNDETERMINED AMOUNTS OF TIME:  Prisoners do not get to go to court right away like you see on TV.  Without her attorney available to explain how the system works or what she should expect, the only answers she got about anything were from other inmates!  She sat in jail, unable to make bail for almost two months, scared, confused and suffering from the symptoms of her severe depression.
4. JAIL FOOD:  Food provided for prisoners in the complex where my relative was held was the same everyday...bad and very small amounts.  Although she gained about 20 pounds in two months, she was always hungry, what they were given was not seasoned and mostly inedible. Other inmates told her she was gaining weight because there are additives in what they are served to make up for the quality and lack of nutrition.  Breakfast started at 4 am.  There is a commissary that sold snacks, stamps, shampoos, etc. at ridiculously inflated prices, but that required money.  Understandably, extra food purchased from there was coveted and had to be guarded at all times if you did not want someone stealing it. 
5. THE COMMISSARY:  I've already mentioned the commissary and its over priced goods.  For instance an individual package of ketchup they give away at fast food joints costs $.25.  Two sheets of notebook paper...$.25.  Use your imagination on the prices of real snacks, personal care items or stamps!  Being indigent, means no shampoo, no deodorant, no toothbrush, etc., etc., etc. The fact inmates have to purchase anything they need while incarcerated at horrendous prices makes my husband and I wonder where our tax dollars are being spent.  
6. THROWN INTO THE STREETS:  When she was released, she had no way to call for someone to pick her up, no bus fare, no money, no where to stay...nothing.  She was simply dumped out the front door with no assistance.  Does this sound like a system that cares anything about rehabilitating people caught up in its clutches?  She borrowed a phone from a passing stranger and called her mom. Luckily, she was out of her coma, had just been released and was recovering at home, When her parents learned of their daughter's plight, they borrowed money for bail to bring her home.  Now, she is providing most of the care for her disabled parents.
7. COURT COSTS:  The court accessed her over $5000 in court costs to be paid monthly in the amount of $100.  If she misses a payment and cannot pay the whole amount, a warrant will be issued for her immediate arrest, probation cancelled and she will have to serve her entire sentence in prison. This atrocity is happening in America, not the Middle Ages! 
8. PROBATION SYSTEM INHIBITS REHABILITATION:  The day before her first probation meeting, my relative called to verify she had the correct time and place.  Although no one had bothered to call and cancel the appointment, she was informed the official was not at work that week. Her appointment was rescheduled. At the rescheduled meeting she was chastised about asking for an extension, charged for it anyway and told not to make it a habit if she didn't want her probation canceled.  She was flabbergasted!  She explained her money situation and inability to locate a job, but was not offered any assistance with those.  However, the probation officer gave her information to sign up for community service and mandatory classes, both involving more fees. This system is not concerned with helping those in its grip.  It is all about the money!
9. PROBATION FEES:  Speaking of money, she has to pay $100 for the privilege of meeting with this probation officer and peeing in a cup!  Drugs were not involved with her charges.  It is my opinion, if the probationer is not receiving anything but instructions on what they have to pay next, the state could save a lot of money by sending an email, firing the officer and sending these offenders to a clinic to take care of the test!       
10. FEES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE:  Her 250 hours of community service was accompanied by a $55 fee for the orientation class.  It would be left up to her to find some place to satisfy the 10 hour monthly requirement.  For a $79 battery?
11. COSTLY OFFENDER CLASSES:  She was also told to attend a 14 week Outpatient Behavioral Health Service class designed for violent offenders.  The cost?  $560!  Why?  Remember the bite? For this, she will get to meet 28 times with violent rapists, murderers, child molesters, etc.  The system is actually bringing her into contact with very undesirable people.  Great for rehabilitation!  
12. MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PAY:  The monthly fees accessed her are $200, plus another $615 due before her second visit with her probation officer.  That is a total of $815 she has no way of paying unless she borrows or steals the money.  Results...Her probation will be canceled and she will be thrown into jail for a felony charge of stealing an item valued at less than $100 accompanied by the fact she tried to defend herself from assault!
13. AFFECTS ON FAMILY MEMBERS:  The system is making her life worse. Unable to find a job or cope with the day to day pressures involved in working, she has no means of paying these fees.  The first month her parents, living on social security disability, made a partial payment for the probation officer fee and an uncle covered the court fees for his niece. The Mom had to defer her car insurance payment in order to pay that partial fee.  This decision meant a double payment the next month on her insurance, depleting the amount of money left to buy food.   
14. INABILITY TO BORROW MONEY AND GET A JOB:  Because of mental health issues, this highly educated young woman has not been able to to hold a steady job for the last 5 years, i.e. she's been lost on the streets, cut off from her family.  In addition, her once perfect credit rating bit the dust a long ago making her ability to borrow money legally impossible.    
15. A SYSTEM FOR THE POOR...NOT THE WEALTHY:  A wealthy person is not bothered with such concerns.  Their high price attorneys usually step in  making something as minor as this situation go away.  If charges are filed, they simply pay all the fees up front, don't have to see a probation officer, don't have the impending threat of going to prison hanging over their head and go out into the world to do as they please.  Therefore, this system is discriminating horribly against the poor!   
16. THE INJUSTICE:  In less than three weeks from this blog entry, this beautiful young lady who was the victim of a merciless crime five years ago and failed by the mental health system, is in jeopardy of being incarcerated for several years because she stole a $79 battery, tried to ward off her assailants in the store and does not have the money to navigate the legalities of our failing justice system.

"In his 1964 State of the Union address, President Lyndon B. Johnson said: "Unfortunately, many Americans live on the outskirts of hope - some because of their poverty, and some because of their color, and all too many because of both. Our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity."  (c)  

Now, 50 years later, our country has digressed to the shameful status quo.  The subject of today's blog is just one of many issues our legislatures need to address immediately.  Instead, lawmakers turn a deaf ear to the cries of the poor, middle class and seniors.  Their primary concerns appear lining their own pockets with riches, legislating personal tenets and accommodating their benefactors.  Among their many, many outrageous actions, is a web of laws skirting protections guaranteed under our Constitution and establishing a system of debtors' prisons.  Of course, no elected official actually refers to them as that... I suggest reading a report published by the ACLU entitled: "In for a Penny:  The Rise of America's New Debtor's Prisons" (d)

Outrageous?  Yes!  Remember, hundreds of years ago, nameless poor people shed blood in our Revolutionary War and endured unspeakable hardships through indentured servitude to escape the debtors' prisons of Europe. To what end, I ask?  So history can come full circle allowing that injustice to run rampant today at the hands of out of control, rich, apathetic elected officials?  The fact that it is happening now in America makes the likelihood of a civil war in our future a reality I never thought possible...

(a) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-57577994/as-economy-flails-debtors-prisons-thrive/ 
(b) https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/courts-should-stop-jailing-people-being-poor
(c) http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/17939-debtors-prisons-once-a-19th-century-relic-again-wreaking-havoc-in-us
(d) http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/17939-debtors-prisons-once-a-19th-century-relic-again-wreaking-havoc-in-us

REPUBLICANS DOUBLE TALK CONTINUES

Every time a Republican gets before a camera, or any media for that matter, more lies and half-truths fall out of their mouths. (a)  A few days ago, Barton of Arizona was comparing our President to Hitler but now denies it. (b)  She released more unmitigated, slanderous misinformation on her Facebook than I've seen since the McCarthy era.

The Tea Party Republicans' fanaticism has gotten so bad, according to a "New York Times" article (c), the huge business lobbies that paid for them to get elected are seriously considering pulling their support.  They quoted David M. Cote, the chief executive of Honeywell and a steering board member of Fix the Debt, as saying, “It’s clearly this faction within the Republican Party that’s causing the issue right now.”   The article went on to say, "... they agree in principle with conservative lawmakers about the need to cut federal spending or roll back parts of Obamacare, but said using the threat of shutdown — or worse, of a debt default — to extract those concessions was both ineffective and dangerous."

Today in an effort to turn some of the heat off the Republican party, a whole bunch of GOP representatives, including Speaker of the House, John Boehner, went on national TV stating they, "...will give President Barack Obama a proposal extending the government's ability to borrow money through Nov. 22 — but only if he agrees to negotiate over ending the partial government shutdown and a longer-term increase in the debt ceiling."  In other words, "Give us what we want or we'll bring this country to its knees."

President Obama HAS NEGOTIATED WITH THESE EXTREMEST during the last few showdowns to no avail.  Therefore, the President said enough's enough.  There will be no compromise while GOP uses the Affordable Care Act as leverage. Still.they continue to threaten a pending economic disaster to push their personal agendas.

"There are reportedly enough votes in the House to produce a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown for good. But until Boehner is willing to buck the hardliners in his own party, that vote is never going to happen." according to an article in Rolling Stone Politics. (d) They quoted a New York Times  that notes, "the GOP plan to eliminate Obamacare – even if it means grinding the government to a halt – has been in the works for a long time. The current funding standoff is the result of a detailed blueprint drawn together by special interest groups, conservative lawmakers and billionaire donors."  A preponderance of evidence points to just that fact...the GOP course of action is a planned attack to change the government to their bigoted ideals or bring it down.

It is the responsibility of the voting public to educate ourselves so we aware of those elected officials attempting to sway our opinions by hook and crook to their biased, single minded opinions.  All those serving in the House, Senate and Presidential Office were elected to work for the good of EVERYONE in this country instead of tearing down what they personally do not like.

For the last 8 plus years, our Government has stopped functioning because the Congress lines up on party lines instead of voting for the good of the American People! The Republican Tea Party zealots are greatly responsible for that fact. DON'T CONTINUE TO LET THEM PULL THE WOOL OVER YOUR EYES!  WRITE, EMAIL, CALL AND TALK TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.  TAKE AWAY THE POWER OF THESE RABID POLITICIANS AND ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SOME POSITIVE STRIDES FORWARD. 

(a) http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2013/10/house_speaker_john_boehner_say.html
(b) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/09/brenda-barton-hitler_n_4074388.html
(c) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/10/us/business-groups-see-loss-of-sway-over-house-gop.html?ref=federalbudgetus&_r=0
(d) http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/8-flagrant-examples-of-republican-shutdown-hypocrisy-20131007

Barton/Tea Party Republican's ARE Disrespectful Connivers

How dare Brenda Barton, Arizona Representative, disrespect (a) our President so blatantly in a public media! He is our President, elected by a huge majority of the people in this country.  His office alone demands respect because of what it is and what it represents.  She's proven to be a conniving, self-motivated fanatic using our right of freedom of speech to achieve her own ends...Shame on her!

Ms Barton and those like her are doing more harm to the United States of America than Hitler could have done with all his armies.  By manipulating their positions in our government to complete their egocentric agendas... by besmirching a man the majority of the voters chose to lead them, Ms Barton and her assassins are putting a pipe bomb in the foundation of America!  Terrorists masquerading as the 'good' guys!  How can they sleep at night.

She is so ready to compare our President to Hitler, but Hitler used HER tactics to oust the German Government at that time.  He and his henchmen inflamed the people by fueling old hatreds and touchy topics to fire up their emotions in the name of patriotism.  His lies, half-truths and fanaticism tore Germany apart and left the monsters in control. So who should we compare to Hitler?  Ms. Barton and the Republicans entrenched in their character assassination to achieve their self-motivated agendas or our President who has attempted to negotiate time after time with them?   Well, that's an easy answer...It is Ms. Barton and her co-conspirators.

President Obama and the Democratic Party were left holding the bag for the Bush Republican disasters and have done much to repair the damage. Just think!  If the Ms. Barton types in the House hadn't thrown road block after road block up in President Obama's plans to get the United States and her people and economy back on track, where could we be right now?  The last two Congresses have been the worst in the history of this country mainly due to the efforts of these fanatics!

To Ms. Barton I say, "Look in the mirror and pat yourself on the head.  Call or email congratulatory sentiments to your buds.   Our country and people are suffering through a major crisis right now because of you.  You are a group of nasty, mean-hearted, unpatriotic kooks and should resign."

(a) http://news.yahoo.com/arizona-de-fuhrer-barton-obama-134942788.html

Non-Voters Allow Fanatics To Do As They Please With Our Government

The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers. (a) (b)  Not to legislate their personal preferences and those of their rich benefactors...

One of the most overused quotes EVER is “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ― Edmund Burke (c)  Why do you think that is?  Probably because EVERYONE realizes the truth being conveyed and wants those sentiments repeated until someone listens.

I'm shouting those words now!  We, the eligible voters in this country, have allowed some fanatical, rich greedy-gourds to get into a position of power over the laws governing our country.  It effects us all, especially women, the poor, middle-class and elderly.  So...we can blame ourselves for the current state of affairs in America.  Question is what are we going to do about it?

Robert Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, calls the Tea Party Republicans, "bullies" and "extremest" in his article "Why Obama and the Democrats Shouldn’t Negotiate with Extortionists". (d) I think he is being spot on in his descriptions, plus he offers the names of the ultra wealthy backers of these fanatics and warns, "...a handful of hugely wealthy Americans who are sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into this extortion racket..." plan "... to not just to take over the Republican Party. It’s to take over America." Scary, huh?  I strongly suggest you read this article and come to your own conclusions.

Frankly, this blog has always been about my views.  Although they may not be yours, I respect your right to disagree.  What I do not budge on is the fact legislating personal morality and beliefs alienates most of the citizens of the US, benefiting a select few, i.e. deaf ears.  It also gives these bought off legislators the ability to keep topics in the news that fuel great emotional riffs among us.  This turmoil is what they thrive on and allows them to sneak in regulations and laws the majority of the population never hears about until it's to late to stop them.  It also gets them elected because a growing number of people are becoming apathetic when it comes to politics, not taking the time to educate themselves concerning the facts and, eventually not voting.

I'll end with a quote from Karen Marie Moning.  It pretty much hits my own philosophy square on, “Most people are good and occasionally do something they know is bad. Some people are bad and struggle every day to keep it under control. Others are corrupt to the core and don’t give a damn, as long as they don’t get caught. But evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.” 
― Karen Marie Moning, Shadowfever (e)

And we've got some real 'evil' going on in Washington right now!  Let's stand up and shout, wave our arms, write letters, send emails, get on the phone, BUT, MOST OF ALL, get out and vote these bastards out of office...

(a) http://answers.ask.com/society/other/what_is_the_purpose_of_congress
(b) http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/legislative-branch/
(c) http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/evil?page=1
(d) http://robertreich.org/post/62690696498
(e) http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/evil?page=3

The following websites will also offer you insight from different perspectives about the government shut down, its affects, what lawmakers are refusing their salaries and some of the richest ones on capitol hill:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/10-horrifying-things-about-the-government-shutdown-20131004
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/government-shutdown-up-to-speed/index.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-government-shutdown-will-work/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/10/01/which-lawmakers-will-refuse-their-pay-during-the-shutdown/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-30-richest-members-of-congress/2013/08/21/f182de02-0a52-11e3-b87c-476db8ac34cd_gallery.html#photo=30

Guns...ANOTHER Elephant in the Room

Yes, America, watching someone gun down our children in mass or even losing a loved one to a shooting is devastating to say the least, BUT, let's not kill the good people's ability to access fire arms by overlooking the REAL ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. Guns are not the problem.  There are THREE MAJOR REASONS...in my opinion.

NUMBER 1:  Because some people have no desire to be bothered with a child, they shouldn't bring children into the world. This fact crosses socioeconomic lines.  Who you are and how much money you bring home is not important.  All sorts of 'parents', and I use that word lightly, do not take any personal interest in their children, abuse and neglect them or pawn them off to nannies or day cares.  There is a growing percentage of parents who simply don't care what their children do or where they learn their 'rules' of right and wrong unless it personally effects them.  As a result, lots of children are learning their moral values on their own and in places where 'teach your children well' does not exist. There is no substitute for a caring, involved adult being there when a child needs comfort, protection and questions answered, instead of the alternatives.

NUMBER 2:  America is allowing millions of these unwanted children to suffer gruesome childhoods by turning our eyes away from the plight of abused and neglected kids.  The CPS's, Child Protection Services, in this country are complete failures.  Underpaid, overworked and understaffed individuals put in charge of intervening in the lives of these tortured little people are overwhelmed by the hopelessness confronting them daily.  After years of dealing with insurmountable case loads, apathy has oozed into the cracks.  Burnout rates for counselors is enormous. The system has literally become accustomed to the nightmarish lives of their clients and has adapted a 'what can I do' attitude.  AND THE LEGISLATORS WHO COULD THROW MORE MONEY TO HELP THESE CHILDREN TURN A DEAF EAR TO THE PLEADS FOR HELP, being more interested in cutting programs the last few years...   

NUMBER 3:  Our mental health system is a raving joke.  Children and anyone else who seriously need help are not getting it in a majority of cases.  For most people, it is economically impossible to afford.  The ones able to seek help are finding most phychiatrists have become pill pushers for the drug industry and shuffle off patients to the nearest drug store or put them into the hands of a Physician's Assistant...AGAIN...Money trumps caring.

Just a note...Growing up, I did not know meat came from a grocery store.  We stocked a freezer with fresh venison, fish, wild game birds, rabbit and squirrel.  Every weekend when my dad wasn't working his everyday job, he was responsible for stocking our freezer with meat.  To do this we hunted, fished, cleaned and packaged our own.  In order to accomplish a necessary part of our life, we, as kids, were taught to shoot, fish and preserve this meat.  That involved guns, knives and a variety of other skills.  Naturally, all these tools were an everyday part of life.

From an early age, gun handling and upkeep were drilled into us just like taking a bath, washing dishes, following the rules, being kind to your fellow man and 'passing it forward', as my Dad always called it.  Because caring adults drilled these skills into us and the importance of love and caring not just for yourself but of others, we had a set of rules to live by.  The throw-away children from that time were also watched over by those same adults.  Less than desirable habits they picked up were usually frowned on by their peers.

Today, children are alone too much and looking for someone who cares. Parents working more and more hours to earn money just to exist find it harder to be there for them.  Others never wanted them to begin with.  Gangs acting as pseudo-families get a lot of these kids.  Their only rules are get what you want, any way you want...lie, cheat, still, hurt and maim.  Members suffer pain to become part of the family and must die to get out.  Cults pick up more of them. We're talking major crazy there. Other kids just try to make it on their own with no guidance from anyone.  Drugs and all that nightmare permeate these worlds.   Forced to survive in such situations, a large percentage of human beings become numb to normal feelings and callous at an early age. Some lash out because of the hurt, i.e., mass shootings and individuals out of control mentally.  Scarier still is the fact a lot of these crazies (a) are having children...

In effect, the world is creating monsters and the numbers are increasing exponentially.  The safety net (CPS) is damaged...the mental health system literally does not work...and the people who could make changes and lead this country to better times sit on their duffs, drawing cushy salaries and trying to legislate their personal moral beliefs instead of addressing pressing issues.

BANNING GUNS WILL NOT HELP...IT IS OUR SOCIETY'S LACK OF CARING THAT SHOULD SHOULDER THE BLAME... Guns are simply tools.  When they are banned, we'll see bombs....Are we going to shut the grocery stores, feed stores and pharmacies?  We must address the root or continue to suffer the results...

(a)  In this text, 'crazies', is the gross term I have chosen to represent the mentally ill who have fallen into the almost 'no hope' category because of the horrible life they have had or untreated mental health issues they suffer.  I believe most of these sad individuals could have been saved had they been identified at an early age and received proper treatment and follow up.  Most teachers are aware who these children are and report them through channels to CPS systems across the country starting in Pre-K and forward.  Nothing is usually done.  Parents are not held responsible and the child becomes numb...incapable of real emotions after a while.  But these is another subject for another time.

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET...THE ELEPHANT IN THIS COUNTRY

Just a short note today:  Congress is again trying to HACK EVERYTHING BUT THEIR OWN INFLATED, PORK INFESTED BUDGET!  Why?  Because they want the American people to provide them with every luxury while they are in office and after they leave.

From the people who hang their coats to child care to salaries to benefit and retirement packages...Our Congress can and HAS voted themselves every imaginable dream item they can fantasize!  They do it silently, without advertisement or a cursory thought about who is paying for their luxuries.  

YET...these same men and women put on a good show when the media is in their face...empathetic, protectors of the Constitution, hard working servants of the people....Yeah Right!  They are a bunch of the richest men and women hacking away at the programs protecting America's elderly, poor, military and unemployed!  Robin Hoods they are not.  Their motto should be, "Take from the poor and downtrodden and shove the plunder into our pockets!"

If you do not believe the truth of this blog, go to the last budget passed by a US Congress and read it...ALL OF IT. (a)  If it doesn't shock and make you nauseated, then you must be very wealthy or an elected official...

(a)  http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid='0E%2C*PL%5B%3D%23P%20%20%0A

Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz, said, "...CHOKE THE MONSTER."

Yes, Congressman Franks...You are very right and CONGRESS IS THE MONSTER and your CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET should be first in line for the choking.

1. ALIGN YOUR SALARIES WITH THE AVERAGE ANNUAL PUBLIC TEACHER PAY.
2. TAKE AWAY YOUR EXTRA PAY FOR EXTRA WORK.
3. TAKE AWAY YOUR ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET, TRAVEL BUDGET, CLOTHING BUDGET OR ANY OTHER BUDGET ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR SALARY.
4. CUT YOUR STAFF TO ONE PERSON IN WASHINGTON AND ONE PERSON IN YOUR DISTRICT.  THE REST...HIRE OUT OF YOUR OWN SALARY!
5. PAY FOR YOUR INSURANCE
6. CUT OUT YOUR RETIREMENT
7. PAY FOR YOUR OWN OFFICE SPACE.
8. PAY FOR YOUR UTILITIES.
9. IN OTHER WORDS, PUT YOURSELF ON THE SAME PLAYING FIELD WITH MIDDLE CLASS AMERICAN WORKERS WHERE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO DO, NEED TO DO OR WANT TO DO COMES OUT OF YOUR SALARY.
10. GIVE THE AMERICAN VOTERS AN AMENDMENT TO REMOVE YOU FROM OFFICE IF YOU DO NOT UPHOLD YOUR OATH.

When you have finished this MAJOR step to reduce our national deficit, then tackle all the FLUFF currently padded into our Federal Budget.  TAKE OUT ALL THOSE KUDOS THE LOBBYIST HAVE PAID THE CONGRESS TO PAD IN FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.

Unless you, Congressman Franks, and all the rest of our elected officials are not willing to bite the bullet first, DO NOT ASK AMERICAN VOTERS TO GIVE MORE.  We're tired of the baseless arguments to cut needed programs in light of your proclivity to continue getting your over-inflated salaries, bonuses and obscene benefits.  While you spend precious hours trying to pass warped social agendas and waging war against women, the old and the poor, serious strides could be made to identify and cut the real unneeded programs gobbling up our Federal Budget.

YOUR SAME-OLD, SAME-OLD RHETORIC IS NAUSEATING AND NEEDS TO STOP...NOW!  AMERICA IS TIRED OF THE BIGGEST DO NOTHING, OVERPAID GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY...