Hey, Ho, Henry Brown Has Got To Go!

I am allegedly represented by Henry Brown in the United States House of Representatives.

I say allegedly because I am not a rich white male real estate developer.

Here's the thing. I searched around my blog archives for the entry I made after receiving a reply to an email that I sent to Mr. Brown regarding the need to develop alternative sources of energy as a means of improving national security.

The way I see it is this: We develop alternative methods (not corn ethanol, please feel free to look into Brazil's success with sugar cane ethanol, which is what I would like to see investment in instead of corn) of energy, we lessen our need to import oil. Our new technology then competes with oil in developing nations such as China and India, bringing dollars to our economy instead of the economies of countries who are supporting terrorists. As new energy source technology takes off and the world begins to convert to the use of it, money for terrorists dries up and they go back to killing each other off and riding camels in the sand.

I really wish I could find the "heh, heh, heh, little lady, you just go tie-dye some hippie shirts and let us menfolk figure this out" reply I received. I thought my monitor would short out with the condescension dripping off of it.

Edit: Now that I'm not an idiot (or at least figured how to do this. Hey! I have never claimed anything remotely resembling computer literacy) here is the post I made two years ago regarding Mr. Brown's letter to me.

Yet, I understood that in a staunchly (frighteningly zombie-ish) Republican district, my ideas would be dismissed.

Then I started filling out the "Henry Brown Really Wants Your Opinion So He Can Better Represent You" questionnaires that I received.

And, ya know what? I got letters back telling me why my OPINIONS were wrong. Not my facts. My opinions.

And now, this. Proof positive that Henry Brown does not give a flying fig leaf for any of the hard working people, Republican or Democrat in his district. Only those who can feather his re-election nest get their needs represented.

Situation: Super rich people (probably "from off" and don't say they aren't super rich because they are if they can build a multimillion dollar house. I make good money and can barely save enough to get mine painted) want to build homes on a sand bar off Kiawah because it is so pretty there.

Problem: no government subsidized flood insurance available because, well, because the whole purpose of those sand bars is that they flood during storms to help protect the wetlands/barrier islands behind them.

Solution: Get Henry Brown to bring a bill before the House of Representatives to allow sand bar homes to be eligible for tax payer subsidized flood insurance.

Problem: Regular people get a little angry because, um, we're a little swamped right now trying to pay our own taxes and mandated flood insurance premiums in the face of a declining job market and stagnant wages.

Solution: Henry goes to the press to say gosh golly gee willikers, y'all. You know, I introduced a bill into the House and I didn't know that there were developers involved. In fact, the guy I talked to about it, well, I never did get his exact job title, but I just assumed he worked for the town of Kiawah.

Problem: Regular folks are astonished. He introduced a bill and he didn't even know who he was introducing it for? Real estate developers? Just how much "research" does he do before producing legislation? A quick check of the interested parties' financial page and donation record?

Solution: Henry does his best good ole boy imitation and offers to let all y'all common folk have a public hearing to let your voices be heard. In Washington DC.

I don't know about y'all, but difficulty getting time off from work on short notice, the cost of airfare or gasoline to get to Washington, the prices of hotels and food in DC all are a little beyond my reach without careful planning and savings well in advance of the trip.

But I'll bet all those developers and lawyers and whoever else will profit from this have the ability to just jet off to DC to tell ole Henry that they don't have a problem with this bill. And ole Henry will look around and ask if anyone there has a problem with it.

And all us hard working folks who couldn't afford to go to Washington DC on a moment's notice to protest will end up helping some Richie Rich pay for the flood insurance on his multi-million dollar vacation home on a sand bar.

And good ole Henry Brown will have his re-election coffer overflowing and he'll shrug and say with a straight face and not the slightest bit of guilt over screwing the public he serves, "Well, I had a public meeting for it, but none of those folks bothered to show up."

And even worse, he doesn't care because he is counting on those good, hard working people of his district forget all this by November and walk into the voting booth and push the button for a straight Republican ticket.

Vote Ketner.

Let's break the cycle of power that is abusing us.

Loki sez: Patootie on Henry Brown and his cronies!