Resign, Mr. President

Dear Mr. President.

In light of the factual information escaping from Libya, it's time to consider that your cover-up has failed, so I humbly recommend that you tender your resignation immediately.

The repeated requests for increased security and the previous attacks that went unheeded by your State Department, resulted in 4 dead Americans, including a US Ambassador, your ambassador, and Al Quaida flags flying over US Soil, reveals one horrible decision after another. And this time it cannot be blamed on the previous administration.

With your refusal to help them, the cover-up and the attempts to divert attention to a video that you knew, and now everyone else knows, had nothing to do with the problem, it is time to step up and take responsibility: resign as quickly as you get a staffer to draft your resignation speech.

Remember President Nixon resigned due to an unlawful cover-up and no one even lost their lives because of his mistake.

Thank you for your service and happy trails to you.

Sincerely yours,

No Inflation! Says Who?

Dear Mr. President.

The news is out that people who are disabled, veterans and retirees on fixed incomes will not receive a cost of living adjustment to their income due to the recession and a lack of inflation.

"With consumer prices down over the past year, monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits will not automatically increase in 2010." (SSA)

Sir, I beg to differ.

While government reports claim that we've been "deflating", I'm afraid the cost of living is still on the raise.... a lot. The truth of it is plainly obvious if you purchase gasoline for your vehicle, pay user and registration fees, buy insurance, milk, bread and other food products. Here is a very short list with the 2008 price, the 2010 price and the percent of change:

Ground chuck: $2.59 lb $3.29 lb. +27%
Milk: $1.99 qt. $2.39 qt. +20%
Peanut Butter: $4.29 16oz. $5.29 16oz. +25%
Regular Gasoline $2.24 Gal. $2.81 Gal. +25%

The Consumer Price Index, used to calculate inflation for cost of living increases, must be seriously flawed. It includes sample items such as housing, apparel, medical spending, transportation, etc. (Beureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But while food and transportation costs are going up in double digits, it is only the housing market has been bottoming out. I do not believe you can seriously say that we are in a deflationary climate when only one item on the list has lost its value. Additionally, the loss of revenue from those devalued homes has caused a snowballing effect on state and local governments who have also increased the fees for necessities, such as vehicle titling, registration, license plate and driver's license renewal, and businesses that have to raise prices to make up for lost patronage.

Most people, especially those on fixed incomes, are not buying homes after they started receiving SSI, disability or in many cases military retirement. Very few are buying homes as the monthly reports indicate. Besides, which of those on fixed incomes would willingly sell their home in this housing environment? All of this weighs heavily on the average Social Security, Disability recipients and retired military.

And, now, as if to slap us in the face, the BLS reports the CPI-U to be 2.7% as of December 2009. This means the policy of attempting to balance the federal budget on the backs of those on fixed incomes must be based on incorrect information or was, is, simply a ruse.

Mr. President, alter the way the CPI is calculated and apply a reasonable cost of living increase for all Americans who are receiving SSI, disability and honor those who served this nation and are receiving military retirements.

Thank you for your support.

Shared Sacrifice: You too Mr. President

Dear Mr. President.

In your July 17th Weekly Radio address, you asked for shared sacrifice calling on the “wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share”.

I agree, we should ask the wealthiest Americans to sacrifice some of their vast wealth. To this end I make the following recommendation; One that lowers the government’s domestic obligations while being very popular among average Americans.

Cut your pay by ten percent.

That’s right: lowering you pay will have a direct one for one, dollar for dollar, reduction in deficit spending.

It would show the people that you are willing to personally participate in the shared sacrifice. It would also put you in an excellent position to influence the US Congress to lower their salaries as well.

Start a movement of shared sacrifice across the country.

This is just my suggestion to help our country out of worsening situation.

Thank you for your support.

Policy Causes Energy Costs to Go Up: Stop it

Ref: Letter to congress entitled, "Letter from the President to Congressional Leadership Regarding Oil Subsidies", published April 26th, 2011, and your weekly radio address on the same subject.

Dear Mr. President.

I believe your advisers are leading you astray in this area. Ostensibly, the purpose is to influence congress to help curtail the skyrocketing cost of energy in this country and spend it instead on green technologies by removing tax incentives.

The recommendation to remove $4 billion in business expense tax credits can only have one affect on consumer prices. The oil industry will do as all businesses do when their expenses increase: they will raise their prices. This will drive up the cost of living for every day Americans.

Oil is the primary mover of American economy. When its costs go up, so do the cost of every product and service Americans use and need. The problem will affect the working poor the hardest.

We will only produce more jobs and reduce dependency on foreign oil by tapping into our own mineral resources, not by making it more expense.

Investing in green energy, something that has been going on in earnest for over 30 years has yet to produce a reliable and relatively inexpensive alternative to oil. Even the ethanol project has proven to be a near zero sum gain while driving up the cost of food and the taxpayers are paying extra for it twice (taxes and retail). Spending should be ended on ethanol related subsidies.

We need energy now and experts agree: encouraging domestic production will have an immediate lowering effect on market prices.

America was the land of opportunity, but the continued anti-business, anti-opportunity and anti-success rhetoric and policies, in addition to the devalued US dollar due to unprecedented deficit spending, has greatly reduced our ability to create enough jobs to gainfully employ our citizens.

I urge you to reverse your position on legitimate business tax credits and open up ANWR and other areas to drilling and mining to ensure that this country remains the leader in this world and once more becomes the land of opportunity.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.