It's time for my annual congressional letter flurry. Please take a look, as I'd like to have my arguements tested here first.



-Clay


Dear Representative

Once every couple of years I like to write my representatives and let them know how I feel and vote on various issues. I hope you will find the time to read what one of your humble constituents feels on topics of the day:

1. I support the concept of licensing qualified citizens carry concealed firearms for personal protection. This is no longer an experimental concept – most other states in the union have done so and results have uniformly been positive. Allowing citizens this freedom reduces crime; makes streets safer, and allows women to protect themselves from predators. The rest of the union has shown themselves to be responsible when this right is granted; I see no reason to think the good people of Wisconsin would be any different.
2. I feel that lawsuits have changed the shape of life in this country. While many of those changes are for the better, the fear and threat of a lawsuit is costing this country as a whole more money, and restricting more activity, than I consider healthy. In my opinion, we should switch to a loser pays system, in order to stem the tide of excessive lawsuits.
3. I feel that current credit card regulations are too lax. Credit card companies have gotten in some nasty habits of late; to extract money from those least able to afford it. One item in particular that I find unreasonable is the excessive late fees for being a day late on your bill. A $50 late fee is an awful lot of money, considering that the interest is also being charged on top of that.
4. Federal spending is out of control. Every budget/deficit number I have seen in the last 5 years has been… disturbing. Expanding social security to pay for prescription drugs did not help the matter. I also worry that we spend money on Homeland Security without really scrutinizing if the investment is sound. Actions like prohibiting keychain pocketknives on airplanes are a case in point where a Hoover Dam is built over worry of a small brook. I seriously doubt such a rule on 9-10 would have prevented 9-11 (e.g. the arm of a pair of spectacles can be improvised to be a weapon very easily). While that example isn’t necessarily economic, it’s an indication of mindset.
5. Wisconsin speed limits are too low. Some other states have their major highways, and even county highways, set at 70 MPH during the day. I see no reason why Wisconsin drivers are any less safe than anyone else. In my opinion, the speed limits should be raised to 70 during daylight hours during the spring/summer/fall months.

Yours respectfully,
(Me)
Also, if there are any hot issues I missed, let me know and I may well include those too.