Bailout: Contact Your Representatives

[Veritas]

Polls have almost universally shown that the American people do not support the $700B bailout. Hell, liberals and conservatives on this board that have been tearing each others throats out over the POTUS election seem to strongly agree that a bailout is BS.

However, last night our Senators almost all said "**** you, voters" and passed the bill. I think they're counting on the fact that many don't face re-election this time around. They think that the American people will forget (and they will).

The House, however, faces re-election every two years, meaning that they'd damn well better not ignore their constituents. If you disagree with this bill (and you probably do) please take a few seconds to email your Representative. I'm assuming that most of you live in Oklahoma, so I've gone to the trouble of finding direct links for the Okie reps:
Dan Boren (http://www.house.gov/boren/emailsignup.shtml)
Mary Fallin (http://fallin.house.gov/send_email_zip_authentication.shtml)
John Sullivan (http://sullivan.house.gov/zipauth.html)
Tom Cole (http://www.cole.house.gov/contact-tom.html)
Frank Lucas (https://forms.house.gov/lucas/contact-form.shtml)

Most of these forms require your zip code plus 4...you can find your zip + 4 here:
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

If you don't know who your rep is, once you know your zip + 4 you can hit the HoR site and use the tool at the upper left to find out:
http://www.house.gov/

[JohnnyMack]

I think we need to make some changes. I don't think that these loans that the Govt. is going to buy up are super risky and I don't know that I think we'll ever get our money back out of them, much less turn a profit.

I don't think inaction is a solution. I still haven't figured out what I think the right answer is.

[OUthunder]

Veritas, is there a link to how those people voted?

[ousoonerfan]

Senate vote yesterday

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00213

[tbl]

Judging from the thread the other day, most of the people on this board are FOR the bailout. I don't understand why, but I was definitely in the minority on the opposing side. Maybe we have a bunch of economists here, but I'm just a dummy that would like a better explanation as to what this $700B is actually paying for.

[NormanPride]

I just think it's ridiculous that the Secretary of Treasury gets another shot at this failure of an economy.

[Scott D]

Not a surprise NP, he seems to think it's his to do with at a whim. When the reality is that he and his buddies are just making sure they've got their platinum parachutes when the **** really goes down.

[SoonerBBall]

Veritas, is there a link to how those people voted?

Here is a link to the Senate vote.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00213

****ing Tom Coburn. I actually am a fan of most of his work so far, but he was the Yea vote from OK. Inhofe was a Nay.

[soonerscuba]

It seems very un-Coburn to vote for this. Anybody heard a reason?

[soonerhubs]

It seems very un-Coburn to vote for this. Anybody heard a reason?

Is he up for reelection this fall? Judging by his vote, I'd guess that's the reason.

[JohnnyMack]

My question is how is inaction going to solve anything? If you disagree with the terms of this proposal, that's cool, but what is your solution?

[Partial Qualifier]

My question is how is inaction going to solve anything? If you disagree with the terms of this proposal, that's cool, but what is your solution?

hire a team of the world's best economists, brief them on the background & cause of this fiasco + what the American public is willing to give up to fix it, and let them find the best, most esoteric approach -- and leave the politicians out of it.

At least if they came back and said "American taxpayers need to fork over $700,000,000,000" then I could trust what they're saying.

Washington's done a terrible job communicating the aspects of this situation; any aspect. pick one.


:confused:

[pergdaddy]

Inaction is not what I'm saying, but allowing the market to correct itself is. If we bail out every crisis, then it's no longer capitalism.

And one sector of industry in the economy is not going to cause a crash nor a depression. We may be in for some hard times but bailing out companies that made poor financial decision is not the answer either.

Now we get addendums such as mental disabilities must be covered by health insurance, which is fine and dandy, but what does that have to do with the financial industry crisis?

And I love that the FDIC is forced to raise the limits from 100,000 to 250,000 but cannot raise their rates to their members but are allowed to recoup lost money from any collapses from the government. Sooooo, the taxpayers will lose their money (in an example) if their bank collapses and they also will be on the hook for the losses that the FDIC incurs from that bank's collapse.

From an article:
Many lawmakers voiced disdain for the extra tax breaks the Senate added to the financial-rescue package. They ranged from a one-year fix to prevent the alternative-minimum tax from hitting more taxpayers to extending the research credit for business to allowing rural utilities to issue tax-exempt bonds for use of renewable energy.

Also included were more obscure terms extending tax breaks for motor-sports racing tracks, makers of wooden arrows for children, and the rum excise tax for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.


Tax breaks for makers of wooden arrows for children? Yep, that's why the economy sucks. Wooden arrow makers might have to pay taxes.

[pergdaddy]

And it's now up to $810 billion, which we all know is a lie. THEY say it's 810, I say it's over 1 trillion.

[OUthunder]

Inhofe just got my vote for the upcoming election.

[OUHOMER]

Add on's are bull ****... They just dont get in Washington

[tommieharris91]

Inhofe just got my vote for the upcoming election.

Rice claims he would have voted "no" as well.

[Chuck Bao]

Anyone get an email through to Tom Cole? I've been trying all night.

[GottaHavePride]

Todd Tiahrt = e-mailed.

[Dio]

Whoever the hell's running against Tom Cole has my vote, unless Tom votes against this thing the next time around. We're about to be up to our asses in Obamaness anyway; what's one more donk in Cole's place?

[Ardmore_Sooner]

Anyone get an email through to Tom Cole? I've been trying all night.

I just did through the website.