March 13, 2011
Dear Members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate,
For instance, we have folks in the United States who do not have rudimentary health care. When I travel abroad it is always embarrassing to hear Europeans refer to our country as “third world” because we let people wallow in poverty, do not provide health care for all, and allow children to go to bed hungry. Right now, individual states are cutting back on Medicaid benefits, yet there is a $40,000,000 grant out of USA discretionary funds for “Development and Strengthening of the Field Epidemiology Training Program Regional Networks in the Latin America and the Middle East.” Wow – that sounded important. Now, I wasn’t sure what epidemiology was so I visited the World Health Organization web site to find that epidemiology is a study. “Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events (including disease…” I bet the $800,000,000 I found for “Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance program” during FY2011 is also important. However, unless I becme a vender and sign in at fedConnect I can’t figure out for the life of me what the Office of Science is soliciting for. I am sure there is a staff person in your office that vets all requests for proposals and has a complete understanding of solicitation.
Now let me get this straight - $40,000,000 for a study in the Middle East and Latin America and $800,000,000 for a who knows what science project when there are out of work folks I know who do not have health insurance and states are cutting Medicaid benefits.
Does this seem right to you?
Funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting helps to support more than 21,000 American jobs, which contribute more than $1 billion to the national economy. The appropriation they get supports about 1,300 public television and radio stations. Those stations are also funded by people like me who want news that is not designed for ratings and sensationalism but is well researched and presented. I listen to and support WHYY and WNYC. Some of you want to totally cut CPB funding but don’t have a problem giving $3,000,000 to “the US-Russia Civil Society Partnership Program (CSPP) to increase and intensify peer-to-peer relationships between US and Russian civil society groups (NGOs, non-profits, universities, foundations, and, where appropriate, private business) - which share common objectives in
addressing major societal challenges.” How about $3,000,000 to the Regional Investigative Journalsim Network (RIJN). Who the hell are they? A google search netted “The Regional Investigative Journalism Network (RIJN) program aims to support and strengthen the capacity of experienced regional investigative journalists and associated organizations through virtual and physical networking.” Virtual networking – Facebook for journalists??? Need a few more pennies? Let us give the CPB the $ 18,200,000 unrestricted applicant pool no description no nothing just cash grant under the title Rule of Law Liberia USAID –Monrovia.
Now let me get this straight - $3,000,000 for Russians and Americans to establish peer – to – to peer relationships ( is that like expensive speed dating?); $3,000,000 to the Regional Investigative Journalism Network (isn’t that supported by commercial television, radio and press?); and my personal favorite $18,200,000 posted in December 2010 to an unrestricted applicant pool the no description grant titled “Rule of Law Liberia.” Hey, all of that must be more important to folks like me than a national sane, thought provoking broadcast communication network.
Does this seem right to you?
Now we all understand the importance of education. It is basic to the growth of our children and our nation. Of course, you don’t seem to have a problem cutting the head off of Head Start and don’t seem to give a damn about the thousands of pre-school children who will be negatively impacted. I understand why – it is more important to spend $21,000,000 “enhancing the ability of political parties in Pakistan to contribute to democratic policy-making and governance processes at the national and local levels in a more open, research-driven and representative manner and thereby generate greater public trust and confidence in their ability to govern and effect positive policy change.” Of course $18,400,000 to support full scholarship assistance to economically disadvantaged public school students in Lebanon to attend universities registered with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education is more important than supporting our kids at home. Then there is the scant $7,000,000 that will be used to “promote quality civic education, so that children and youth (defined as those who are between the ages of 15 and 30) across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have a strong foundation on which to become active and engaged participants in social, political, and economic life.”
Now let me get this straight, we cut Head Start and impede the intellectual growth of poor children but we pay $21,000,000 for Pakistan political parties to learn how to be political parties, we give $18,400,000 in scholarships to students in Lebanon to go to school in Lebanon and $7,000,000 to educate kids in the Middle East.
Does this seem right to you.
I could go on and on listing request for proposals but your time is too important to read more banality. You have a country to govern, people to protect, a budget to worry about. So I will simply say this constituent wants you to cut a percentage of what we spend on foreign aid and stop trying to buy friends; cut a chunk out of defense and stop supporting the arms industry; stop looking to save a buck by harming the citizens of the country you swore to represent. Think of the people first and big business second. Think of the people first and your political career second. Think of the people first and pandering to pundits second.
Have you got this straight? Think of the people.
Yours truly in art, health, humanism and sensibility,
Midge Guerrera
(Voting as Margaret Ann Guerrera – pull my record I VOTE.)
