What is Washboard Express?

Washboard Express is a way for me to express my own opinions, to be a provocative gadfly, by writing a "letter a day" to the President. I may miss a day here and there, because sometimes my family with be my first priority, but my goal is to write a total of 365 letters, representing one full year. To say I have opinions about most things would be to understate the obvious. Those of you that know me, know this is true, those who don't know me, will learn that it's true. The Washboard is a reference to going back to basics and "keeping it clean," so if you would like me to post your comments or opinions on this blog, I only ask that you be respectful. So go ahead, express yourself, and I look forward to an exchange of ideas and opinions.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Letter #136 - Dear Mr. President... Beware of People Who 'Like You Very Much'


Dear Mr. President,

Magnificent! Your State of the Union message was just what this country needed to hear… moving this country forward for all Americans, united, rather than divided.

Always reaching across the aisle
My last letter on January 3rd talked about the three years you’ve spent reaching across the aisle asking and hoping for Republican cooperation… and even now, in the State of the Union address, you are once again asking the Republicans to work with you, to send you legislation that you can sign to help lift the American people out of the abyss we’ve been mired in for far too long. Asking both Democrats and Republicans to work together for the ‘common good’ of all people, regardless of their party affiliation.  

I hope it happens. I hope the Congress listens the words you spoke, the ideas you put forth, and the future you proposed, without twisting those words and ideas into something malevolent and unrecognizable. For once I’d like to hear some consensus, on the premise that they can and should be doing more to move America forward.

Unfortunately, I doubt that we will experience much movement in a positive direction. As I watched my local news at 11:00 last night, I listened to 3rd Congressional District Republican Dan Lungren, respond when asked by a reporter, what he thought of your speech. His response was totally negative, suggesting that you didn’t even mention how we were going to pay down the deficit. Apparently, he and I listened to a different speech. You did, in fact, mention the debt and how nearly $1 trillion will be added to that debt if we continue to give tax breaks to the wealthiest 2%, and if we don’t close the tax loopholes, but I guess that’s not what Lungren wanted to hear… so he didn’t.

Today I watched a YouTube video Lungren put up when he got back to his office in Washington, with a much more scripted response… however, after saying how he ‘likes you very much,’ he then lambasted your policies, saying they are inconsistent with the facts and what he sees back home, and that you described “an economy that was going gangbusters.” I believe what you actually said was “the state of the union was getting stronger, and we’ve come too far turn back now.” It’s exactly this type of bombastic, irresponsible, exaggerated rhetoric that has created the gridlock in Washington, and divided this nation and it’s people. 

I live in the district that Lungren represents and I see positive growth all around me, we have new stores opening up in Folsom adding hundreds of ‘new’ jobs that weren’t there before… and LAFCO voted 6 days ago to allow Folsom to grow by 3500 acres for development that includes businesses, schools, homes, parks… etc… Folsom is a trade area that is growing at twice the national average, so don’t listen to the Lungren’s who claim to “like you very much”… because with friends like this, who needs enemies?

Stay positive Mr. President, because neither success nor greatness will be found in your power, prestige, or your position… but instead, it will be found in your humility, your service, your goodness, and your character, which you have in abundance.

Most Respectfully, 

Marcia Reimers
Your Gadfly Granny

2 comments:

  1. If the republicans cared more about the country than they do about defeating President Obama we would all be a lot better off. It would be wonderful if they would work with the President for a change instead of always working against him. I have a difficulty understanding that logic.

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  2. I totally agree Mr. Bothell, and the reason you have trouble understanding that logic is because it isn't logical. Republican's say they want to work with the President, but their actions show otherwise. I know the actions and votes of my Congressman, and they are almost all obstructionist votes to maintain the status quo. Sad, and demoralizing, but we can change that by giving the President a majority in 2012. Cheers

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