Readers & friends, I started this blog for no better reason than to stop muttering to my wife every time I saw something that seemed intriguing or idiotic. As a blogger, I typically want to present a new way to look at events in order to spark new solutions to problems, so at this juncture I will issue an apology to you folks for the following, because there’s nothing new here.
Just me being mad.
Consider this an open letter.
Senator Burr (R-NC), if this is indeed true,
GOPer Richard Burr on not knowing specifics of healthcare motion to proceed vote: “It doesn’t concern me. As I said, I’ll vote for anything”
then I am dismayed and even enraged at your utter dereliction of the sacred duty you took up when you took the oath of office of a Senator of the United States.
We’ll skip over the question of voting for legislation which has been evaluated by the CBO and predicted to leave 20 million or more of our citizens bereft, once again, of critical health insurance. I’ll not delve into the millions of citizens who will be forced to once again risk bankruptcy and death, forced to make choices they need not make.
Nor will I discuss, as far too academic for my frame of mind, how such legislation, by forcing citizens to use the emergency rooms of the country as their primary provider of medicine, forces greatly increased costs on the country as a whole, while degrading the health of many citizens, making them less productive and happy.
No, sir, I shan’t, because these are the logical extensions of the CBO scoring of prior versions of your party’s legislation, and perhaps that legislation has changed for the better in its current version. Or perhaps the CBO is wrong. They are, after all, attempting to divine the future, given a plan, and sometimes divinations go horribly wrong.
No, sir, I do not need any of that.
And I will class as irrelevant your excuse that this was merely a procedural matter, for, if it were, then Senators Collins and Murkowski would not have voted against the motion.
I just need the above quote. If, indeed, that is a statement to which you will own, then I must say, sir, that you are a fool, a poltroon, an irresponsible child who fails to take the responsibilities of your office seriously.
You have been, if I may borrow from private sector traditions, hired by the people of the great state of North Carolina, You have been hired with certain important responsibilities in mind, all of which boil down to the proper management of the nation. Integral to this endeavour is the exercise of your best judgment as to the worthiness of each bill which comes forward for evaluation and voting. You, sir, are expected to inspect, put forward suggestions for improvement, and vote yea or nay as you believe the legislation will positively or negatively affect the nation.
This is not just my expectations, nor is it just that of the people of North Carolina.
This is the expectation of our Founding Fathers.
If you think the ghosts of Washington, Jefferson, and all those other great heroes, many of whom became elected government officials, are nodding approvingly at your alleged utterance, you are a desperately mislead man. They expected the best efforts of those who chose to serve in government – not a lazy, craven belief that a party bill, written in secret, has the needed qualities to improve the nation. It doesn’t matter if it’s a healthcare bill or the new name of Post Office, such behavior is not acceptable.
You have not examined the bill in question. You have not amended the bill. Your statement is that of a handy butler, hoping to remain a member of the staff of some great potentate who has found you of some use, and from whose hand you hope to lick sustenance.
If, indeed, that opening quote is accurate, then, sir, your Senatorial career should come to an end on this instant, for you clearly have lost sight of the duties and responsibilities that are concomitant with the power and prestige of being a United States Senator. Any man or woman with a proper understanding of the role of a Senator would either reform their character on the moment, or, admitting their inadequacy, submit their resignation notice to the governor of the state of North Carolina, and begin the process of withdrawing from public life before further damaging the United States.
Will you have the courage to do the right thing?
Sincerely yours,
Hewitt A. White, Jr.
Citizen
