Open Letter to Rep. Randy Neugebauer

Randy,

I read your newsletter.

While I didn't understand completely your write up on the Balanced Budget Amendment, it's a step in the right direction. You didn't say you did it, but if you did, congratulations. Let's be more specific in the future on what you have done.

Also you indicated that it is a Resolution. Good start, but I want a bill that passes and becomes an Act. What are you doing to accomplish that?

You gave as much space to the discussion of the Sgt. Chris Davis Post Office. While I have no objection to honoring Sgt. Chris Davis, something like this affects only a few people while a Balance Budget Amendment affects the whole country.

On "Other Events", spend as little time as possible on the Agricultural Committee. Chances are nothing much needs changing except eliminating subsidies. Spend some time on the military. We need to keep that strong to fight terrorists; not on the ground, but through satellite and missile deployment.

On American Job Creation, I am not a small-business owner, but I associate with a lot of them I know their thinking. The primary change the government needs to make is to get out of the way. Stop the various federal agencies from requesting data, forms completion, and reports to satisfy the bureaucrats desire for power, and absolutely get rid of healthcare mandates. One example an agency that seems to operate pretty well is OSHA. It has a nice set of rules which protects the safety and occupational health of employees and yet does not apply them in such a way as to cause the employer's unnecessary difficulty. Try to use it as a model.

Conversely, get rid of EPA in the present form that it is operating. It is causing consternation in major industries in the US, limiting production and expansion in a completely unnecessary manner. Its operation is such that in conjunction with the main body of the Obama Administration, it can be considered subversive to the interest of the United States and its citizens.

I'm proud of the Lubbockites as they voted 70% in favor of dumping the "No Child Left Behind Program". It's not that we're against children. We are much for them and for their education. However, we are strongly opposed to such a federal program not only in this but in anything related to public education.

I am also proud of the Lubbock population voting 92% against subsidizing ethanol from corn as a replacement for gasoline. A ridiculous notion that should have never gotten a nickel's worth of support from the taxpayers.