Open Letter to Rep. Neugebauer

Randy,

I just read your newsletter.

There two primary considerations in agricultural bills. One consideration is to be sure that we are not hamstringing food production which might lead to famine in times of unusual weather. The other consideration is to look at agricultural commodities, such as cotton, as equivalent to other commodities, such as oil, copper, etc. The food products are necessary to sustain life in the US. The commodity products are equivalent to manufactured goods and generate revenue from the global economy.

It should not be the taxpayers responsibility to subsidize agriculture, except for famine insurance purposes on food products. All other agricultural products should be able to stand on their own feet economically.

I suggest you spend little time in kissing babies. You need to do some of that to maintain a voting base, but you know what the country needs. Let's get on with the main problems.

I cannot congratulate you on spending $40.85 billion in funding the Department of Homeland Security for the 2012 fiscal year. We don't measure program effectiveness on how much money we spend, but on the accomplishments. How much did we spend last year? Was it more or less than $40.85 billion? We seem pretty secure. The FBI seems to be doing its job. Maybe we are spending too much on homeland security.

Don't worry about shutting parts of the government down because of lack of an overall spending bill. Do it piecemeal. You will probably save money that way.

You are lamenting about the employment situation, but you don't say what you are doing about it.

With respect to Libya, it would be ridiculous to be sending US troops there. Furthermore, it doesn't make any difference what the President says with respect to justification, the House has the power to shut down spending for that operation, and it should immediately do so.