President Calderón of Mexico Vists, Demands Change to US Border Crossing Laws

Dear Mr. President,

I see that the Mexican President believes that our illegal immigration laws are discriminatory.

I believe we should try to get along with Mexico and Mexicans by changing our border crossing laws and consequences to mirror Mexico's border laws and consequences.

Please let me know what you think of this idea.

Thank you for your service.

Remarks by President Calderón of Mexico at Official Arrival Ceremony
"I know that we share the interest in promoting dignified, legal and orderly living conditions to all migrant workers. Many of them, despite their significant contribution to the economy and to the society of the United States, still live in the shadows and, occasionally, as in Arizona, they even face discrimination."

UPDATE: I have received a response to my question. Only, it looks a lot like a form letter with the standard marketing that we've become used to and it made no mention of the subject of my email to the President.

PS: It;s kind of disappointing to see that the President's staff cannot spell the word "advisers" correctly. But at the same time, it does reveal the overall lack of professionalism of the Obama Administration.

You may read it if you like...

-------------------Begin-------------------

Thu 5/20/2010 2:45 PM

Dear Friend:

Thank you for writing me. Each day, I hear from
concerned Americans who are struggling in this economy.
Their stories encourage me to work harder to ensure every
American can find a good job so they can support their
families and their communities.

I have listed below just a few of the actions we are
taking to help hard-working American families get through
these tough economic times.

CREATING JOBS AND GROWING OUR ECONOMY

My Administration has taken critical steps to get us
back on our feet. Our economy is growing again, and last
year's flood of job losses has slowed considerably. These
are good signs for our future, yet they are little comfort to
those who are out of work or struggling to keep their home.
We are working tirelessly to push our recovery forward and
promote economic growth, accountability, and
transparency. To follow developments and track local
projects, visit: www.whitehouse.gov/issues/economy and
www.recovery.gov.

ENACTING TOUGH WALL STREET REFORM

There were many causes of the turmoil that ripped
through our economy over the past two years. But above
all, this crisis was caused by failures in the financial
industry. It could have been avoided if Wall Street firms
were more accountable, if financial dealings were more
transparent, and if consumers and shareholders were given
more information and authority to make decisions.

But that did not happen. Special interests have
waged a relentless campaign to thwart even basic,
common-sense rules--rules to prevent abuse and protect
consumers. In fact, the financial industry and its powerful
lobby have opposed modest safeguards against the kinds of
reckless risks and bad practices that led to this very crisis.

The consequences of this failure of responsibility-
-from Wall Street to Washington--are all around us: 8
million jobs lost, trillions in savings erased, countless
dreams diminished or denied. We must do everything we
can to ensure that no crisis like this ever happens again.
That is why I am fighting to pass a set of Wall Street
reforms that would put an end to taxpayer bailouts; bring
complex financial dealings out of the shadows; protect
consumers; and give shareholders more power in the
financial system. To learn more, I encourage you to read
my April 22 remarks given at Cooper Union, just a few
blocks from Wall Street.

ENDING CREDIT CARD COMPANY ABUSES

My Administration is also working to help
Americans who have had their credit lines reduced or
interest rates increased without clear justification. Last
year, I partnered with Congress to pass the Credit Card
Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD)
Act. This landmark law took effect in February, and
promotes greater fairness, transparency, and accountability
in credit card practices. It requires companies to inform
credit card holders of payment timetables and accrued
interest, and it ends retroactive rate hikes and sudden
changes to terms and conditions. To read more about
CARD and how it affects you, please visit:
www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Fact-Sheet-
Reforms-to-Protect-American-Credit-Card-Holders and
www.whitehouse.gov/issues/economy.

These reforms will have a tangible impact on the
ability of American families and businesses to achieve their
goals. For information on credit and consumer protections,
please visit: www.hud.gov/foreclosure or call 1-
888MYMONEY.

ASSISTING HOMEOWNERS

Many Americans are also struggling to stay in their
homes. Access to the American Dream is being tested by a
mortgage crisis that threatens the stability of families,
neighborhoods, and our entire economy. While many
Americans have received help, far too many are still unable
to refinance their mortgages or obtain loan modifications.
This crisis has not only hurt home values nationwide, it has
also had a dramatic effect on the credit Americans need to
purchase cars, pay college tuition, and grow small
businesses.

For assistance with a home foreclosure or to find a
local housing counselor, I encourage you to call your
mortgage servicer directly, speak with a housing specialist
at 1-888-995-HOPE, or contact the Department of Housing
and Urban Development at 1-800-569-4287. You can also
visit www.hud.gov/foreclosure or
MakingHomeAffordable.gov.

HELPING STRUGGLING FAMILIES

As our economy recovers, we must continue to help
those who are losing their jobs and struggling to pay their
bills. Every day, I meet with my economic advisors to
make sure we are doing all we can to create good jobs and
help Americans support their families and pursue the
American Dream.

My Administration is helping Americans return to
work by emphasizing job training in industries that cannot
be outsourced. Recently laid-off workers receiving
unemployment benefits have new opportunities to pursue
higher education and job training programs, including
easier access to Pell Grants. To encourage job creation in
the United States, I am replacing tax laws that send jobs
overseas with new incentives to create them here at home.
Available assistance can be found online at:
www.dol.gov/recovery/implement.htm or
www.Opportunity.gov.

Together, we can help more Americans find and
keep good jobs and enjoy a healthy standard of living. To
locate an employment center near you, select your state at:
http://www.dol.gov/dol/location.htm. For information on
benefits and opportunities for those out of work, I
encourage you to visit:
http://www.dol.gov/dol/audience/aud-unemployed.htm. To
find career resources, you may call 1-877-872-5627 or
visit: www.careeronestop.org.

While it will take time to turn our economy around,
I am confident that we will emerge from this crisis stronger
than before. For more information on jobs, health benefits,
housing assistance, and other public resources call 1-800- FEDINFO or visit: www.usa.gov. Thank you again for
writing.


Sincerely,

Barack Obama


To be a part of our agenda for change, join us at www.WhiteHouse.gov

------------------End of correspondence-------------------

Obama Keeps Tainted Goldman-Sachs Campaign Contributions

Thursday, April 22, 2010, 12:06 PM
Subject: Goldman Sachs Campaign Donations

Dear Mr. President

Recent reports disclose that Goldman-Sachs is being accused of securities fraud by the S.E.C. If Goldman-Sachs did profit from illegal actions, then any money they have is tainted. This includes money they have given to political campaigns.

Other reports tell us that your campaign received close to a million dollars from Goldman-Sachs and that you have said that you are not going to return the tainted money to them.

It seems that you are unaware of the incredibly bad message it sends to your fellow Americans. Keeping the tainted money sends the message that you either do not care what Americans feel about this, as if you believe it is none of our business, or that you believe this money, your money, is somehow compartmentalized and away from their tainted money. Just as with the federal government, all their money goes into the same account and can be earmarked for different projects. But, it still comes from the same pile.

No matter how it is nuanced, if Goldman-Sachs had not padded their accounts with illegal money, they would not been as generous to congressional and presidential campaigns. This much like giving tax dollars to Planned Parenthood and then claiming it does not go to pay for abortions. It’s all one pot.

Mr. President, please send the correct message and return Goldman-Sachs ill gotten gains and bring leadership, respect and responsibility to the Whitehouse.

Thank you for your service.

Sincerely yours

Israel is Constructing Homes: Oh the Pain

March 24th, 2010, 12:55 PM

Ref: Israeli homes construction

Dear Mr. President

I find the caterwauling by this administration concerning Israeli "settlements" in Israel to be offensive and harmful to our nation.

It is necessary to understand that the announced construction plans were to build apartments in an existing Jewish neighborhood, in a predominantly Jewish section of Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. How that translates as a "new settlement" is beyond me. The issue seems to be fear of Israel expanding into Palestinian territories. Most intelligent Americans see that it does nothing of the sort. This would be a non-issue except for the ongoing statements to the media by your staff and the Secretary of State.

The Vice President's attitude towards the unplanned announcement looks very much like a diversion to his insulting 90 minute late arrival to a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The coinciding announcement by a low level administrator had nothing to do with the Vice President’s visit. As far as I'm concerned, the prime minister’s apology was altogether unnecessary.

If there are apologies due, they would be from us to the Israelis for causing such a stir that resulted from an uninformed knee-jerk reaction.

This is a continuation of the unwarranted animus towards Israel displays a curious disregard for another of our allies in this trying world. The record is now clear that we are alienating our friends while coddling those regimes that will never be friendly towards the United States and even call for our destruction. I have no doubt that at some point, this approach will come back to haunt the American people in very deadly ways.

Mr. President, those who are advising you on this and other foreign affairs need to find an occupation where they will less dangerous to Americans. It is very obvious that they have little concern for international relations while ignoring the history of our interaction with other nations.

Finally,
Thank you for your support.

Sincerely yours

Rules of Engagement: You're killing us.

This letter is self explanatory...

sent: 18 February 2010


Dear Mr. President,

As Commander in Chief, you are charged with defending this nation without sacrificing more American blood and treasure than is necessary to defeat the enemy. It is clear to me that there is an element of this missing; protecting the troops.

Protecting the troops brings at least one requirement; they must be able to destroy the enemy where they are found.

So far, the evidence of this simple concept happening in Afghanistan is lacking due to the rules of engagement we are told. These rules apparently prohibit our troops from killing or capturing Taliban fighters in many circumstances.

The sad fact is that many people will die, suffer crippling injuries and be traumatized by war. The best we can do to minimize the horror of war is to allow our troops to fight the war to win as quickly as possible. But these rules are hamstringing our troops. Reports Americans are hearing tell stories of our troops observing targets (buildings) for as long 72 hours before taking any action. Others say that during a firefight, the enemy will put down their weapons and simply walk away from our forces and our troops are required to let them go. They cannot be detained, captured or have any force used against them.

This policy will only prolong the war along with the suffering for both the Afghan people and our troops and their families. Not to mention the additional cost incurred by prolonging the fighting.

I understand the rules of engagement are designed to help win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. But we are going about it the wrong way. The Afghans respect power and the willingness to fight for your cause and they spit on slackers and cowards. Before you win their confidence you will have to demonstrate that we can protect them from the Taliban and the way to do that is by destroying or capturing Taliban fighters whenever we engage them. Having the local population observe the Taliban fighters literally thumbing their noses at us while they stroll away from the battlefield is winning nothing.

I hope you take this letter seriously and reconsider the rules of engagement as I send it with the best of intentions.

Thank you for your service.

Dear Mr. President,

It seems that instead of instituting programs and policies that spur the creation of jobs, the current direction is to eliminate jobs.

In 2009, we lost 5,396,000 jobs (BLS, Jan 2010). At least 40,000 UAW jobs were lost at General Motors due to their compliance with your directives that included ordering them to close production facilities and drop automobile lines, such as Pontiac and Saturn, and Hummer. That is a lot of jobs down the tubes by your command.

Then this year your administration decided to eliminate 7000 jobs at NASA to save a pittance in comparison to the rest of the budget. This one is particularly heinous as the Space Program is one of the uniting factors in American life. I thought you wanted to unite Americans?

What may be considered by some as a bright side to the jobs issue is that the federal government is growing federal jobs at an alarming rate. There were 30,000 new hires in good paying federal jobs in January 2010 alone.

Eliminating private sector jobs and growing government jobs that the Americans who are still working will have to pay for with higher taxes doesn’t seem to be that much help in the current economic climate.

I’d like to recommend an alternative plan.

Keep the income, payroll, and capital gains taxes the same as they are now. Etch them in stone and let the country know that the tax policy will be stable for the foreseeable future. This will encourage the private sector to update, upgrade and create jobs as opposed to killing them.

Sir, I have to tell you, the next presidential election isn’t going to be easy for this administration when unemployment is still at 10+ percent and the voting public sees this administration as job destroyers, not to mention the planned tax increases in 2011.

Please recall that you promised there would be no middle class tax increase, but by allowing current tax law to expire in 2011, people in the 25% tax bracket will instead be in the 28% tax bracket. People in the 28% tax bracket will be in the 31% bracket. There is no way around it: that is a tax increase on the middle class.

Thank you for your service.