Letter to Senator Shelby

Senator Shelby,

I have come to you today with a few comments, a few questions, and a few answers.
Our views are very different, I noticed this with the letter you sent me on August 13th, 2008.

I enjoyed watching you speak about the bailouts on Face the Nation this last Sunday. I had gotten home just in time to watch the program. I agreed with you on most points, however if the government is planning on going through with this 700 billion buy out of bad debt, taxes will need to be raised or other funding will need to be cut.

Senator Shelby, Why is it that we as a country allow an organization who is un-elected run something that matters most to Americans? You should know what I am speaking of, the Federal Reserve. Senator Shelby, why is it that Congress is looking to pass this Paulson Bill to buy out all the bad debt which will add an extra $2,000 to every man, woman, and child who lives in America. We are already close to what $500,000 per person? When will this end?

As a country, we have troops in over 120 countries and around 700 bases world wide. Why can we not bring our troops home from these military installments? If we were to do that, we could in turn sell the military bases to the countries they were built in and use that money to pay down our national debt.

We as a country need to begin living with in our means. I am not speaking as you or I, but as the federal government. Massive overspending on Defense, Homeland Security and the 25 billion may be sent to automakers for development of hybrids is unnecessary.

We need more oversight given to Congress over the Federal Reserve. These are unelected members who control what we as a nation need and use most on a daily basis; money. I do not understand the whole quasi-private status given to the Fed. Reserve, I believe it should be either a federal public department with oversight by the House / Senate banking committees or a corporation with guidelines from the free market. A mixture of both is not what this country needs.

Senator Shelby, at some point in the future I would enjoy sitting down and speaking with you face to face about these issues. I have my own intentions at some point to run for Congress. It might even be a brave step to possibly ask if I could volunteer my services for you out of the Tuscaloosa office if you have any openings.

In closing,
I hope you will not mind me posting this email onto my personal blog. I have been writing about the economy, wars, and oil prices for a few months now, and I think it’s time we get real answers to the problems we face, not band-aids.

-William G. Reed