Taxpayer-funded Junk Mail from Peter Roskam on Healthcare Reform

On 09.22.09, In Healthcare, Peter Roskam, By RSR

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Received this in the mail today from Peter Roskam. It angers me for a number of reasons:

  • Peter Roskam is using public funds, our tax dollars, to produce this drivel. This is pretty clearly a mailing aimed at self-promotion and advocating a political stance against the Democratic efforts at healthcare reform. While it is doubtful that any rules have been violated, Roskam, who likes to portray himself as a vigorous protector of our tax dollars, should be ashamed of spending our money on this crap. He should be using campaign funds.
  • Roskam’s piece is aimed at convincing the gullible that he actually gives a damn about healthcare. He has been a consistent opponent of expansion of healthcare access during his tenure and is currently working vigorously to obstruct any reform from happening this year.
  • Roskam’s piece says he called me but missed me. That is not true. I received and answered 3 calls from his robo-caller but was not permitted to join the tele-townhall, probably because I am not on the list of safe voters.

The mailing included a post card which Roskam asks you to send back expressing your opinions on healthcare, probably as an aide to his staff in further refining the lists of safe participants for future townhall meetings.

I am posting my reply card here because I spend all my money on this web site and can’t afford a stamp. And I don’t have franking privileges.

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Peter Roskam Casts Anti-Family Vote to Oppose Paid Parental Leave

On 06.10.09, In Executive Compensation, Healthcare, Middle Class, Peter Roskam, Peter Roskam's Corporate Agenda, By RSR

If I don’t have much good to say about Peter Roskam these days, I can at least credit him for being consistent. Roskam is quite consistently opposed to anything that might possibly benefit an ordinary working man or woman at the expense of the giant corporations and wealthy individuals whose interests he uses his seat in Congress to represent.

It was no surprise when Peter Roskam voted against the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009 on June 4, 2009. Congressman Roskam has been a fierce advocate of unlimited pay for corporate executives, but God forbid any working mother or father should be given the time and the financial wherewithal to care for a new child. Why that would make us no different than those Commie countries like… like Canada!

H.R. 626 provides for 4 weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees surrounding the birth or adoption of a child. Federal employees currently receive 12 weeks of unpaid leave (as do all employees subject to the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993). The bill further provides that the employees can use accumulated sick time and vacation time to convert some or all of the balance of that 12 weeks into paid time. Finally, the Office of Personnel Management would be enabled to extend the paid period to 8 weeks. The measure applies only to federal employees and would be at best a weak immitation of pro-family policies in place in many Western countries. Hell, even Zimbabwe gives mothers 90 days at 100%.

Roskam, of course, in addition to not wanting to spend a dime of our federal tax dollars on a working family, fears that the bill will be a foot in the door for future further enhancements to FMLA, something that Roskam’s corporate overlords at the U.S. Chamber and at the National Association of Manufacturers virulently oppose.

Despite Roskam’s vote, along with those of most of his Republican colleagues, H.R. 626 passed by a vote of  258-154. It will now have to be taken up by the Senate.

Peter Roskam deserves to be shamed for his anti-family vote. Please contact him today.  You can reach him at (202) 225-4561 in Washington or at (630) 893-9670 in Bloomingdale.

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Peter Roskam Throws Hissy Fit on House Floor Over Taxes on Dead Rich Folks

On 05.22.09, In Economic Justice, Estate Tax, Middle Class, Peter Roskam, Poverty, By RSR

Received a Tweet from Peter Roskam  wanting to know what I thought about his floor speeech regarding the estate tax, which Peter and other wingnuts like to call the “death tax”.

Well. I always want to do my part to help my Congressman so here goes.

First off,  I was  pleased to hear him name publicly one by one the interest groups to which he is beholden: U.S. Chamber, National Association of Manufacturers, etc.

I was also impressed by Peter’s emotion, the passion that this issue arouses in him. Thought his hairpiece was going to fly off at the end ;) .

What troubles me deeply, however, is that it it is only taxes on rich people that can get Peter aroused this way.  Not homeless veterans on the streets of DuPage County, not children in Wood Dale without adequate health care, not torture and illegal detention authorized by the President and Vice President in Washington. Nope. Just taxes on rich white people in Wheaton, or in this case, rich dead white people in Wheaton.

The truth about the estate tax, which Peter Roskam is unwilling to share with you, is that the estate tax will affect only 0.24 percent of all people who die in 2009, individuals who die with an estate valued at $3.5 million or more or married couples (heterosexual) with an estate of $7 million or more. What’s really sad is that Peter Roskam has chosen to use his seat in Congress, OUR seat in Congress, to represent the financial interests of only that tiny fraction of the residents of his district.

Repealing the estate tax, as Roskam, would have us do, would cost billions in reduced revenue, necessitating either increased taxes on the poor and middle class or major reductions in spending. Cuts to the bloated defense budget, of course, are off limits, to Peter and his Republican colleagues, so cuts would have to be made for things like college financial aid, food stamps, Medicare, veterans services, childrens’ health care – all those programs to help poor and middle class families that Peter has fought against so vigorously during his time in office. More than likely, it would be a combination of both increased taxes and reduced services that would be required to give this expensive gift to a few very wealthy dead people.

So, thanks, Peter for letting me know about your speech.  I honestly have to say though that I didn’t care for it much.

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Peter Roskam’s 8 Part Plan to Halt Global Climate Change

On 05.21.09, In Energy, Environment, Global Warming, Peter Roskam, By RSR

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Peter Roskam has been conducting more of those taxpayer-funded dinnertime robo-calls, this time to roll out his new plan to address the threat of catastrophic global climate change.  You can expect to see a lot of Roskam around the district during the labor day recess, talking up his plan. RSR has a sneak preview for you.  The 8 part Roskam plan is staggeringly simple:

  1. Ignore it. Pretend global climate change does not present any threat.
  2. Burn more fossil fuels faster. Try not to be outpaced by China and India.
  3. Cut taxes on big business.
  4. Say no to anything President Obama or any Democrat in Congress proposes.
  5. Get reelected.
  6. Continue blind obedience to masters at U.S. Chamber and National Association of Manufacturers.
  7. Cut taxes on big business.
  8. Call Nancy Pelosi a threat to national security.

Jumping creepers, Peter, why didn’t we think of this.

Seriously Peter, saying no to anything anybody propses to address the problem of global climate change is not a plan.  If we listen to you, we’re all screwed.  You who would put the narrow  interests  of your corporate campaign contributors ahead of saving the planet – for your children.

Cap & trade may not be perfect and it isn’t going to solve all of our problems, but it is a start, a step in the right direction.  It may very well be expensive for us all. But nobody said saving the planet was going to be cheap. Its just something we have to do.

If you don’t want to do cap & trade, then you tell us how you’re going to save the planet, not just how you are going to save your donors on their taxes.  Put up or shut up.

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Obama Rejects Peter Roskam’s Cynical Attempt to Deceive 6th District Voters

On 10.30.08, In Economic Justice, Ethics Reform, Friends of Peter Roskam, George Bush, SCHIP, Veterans, By RSR

Thanks to Kitty Kurth for this news:

Peter Roskam, who is diametrically opposed to almost everything that Barack Obama stands for and is a member of the McCain leadership team, has been trying to peel off Obama voters. But, Obama supports Jill Morgenthaler for Congress in Illinois 6th District.

“While we’re pleased that Barack Obama continues to attract support from across party lines because of his long record of working with Republicans and independents to bring change, he believes Congressman Roskam would continue President Bush’s failed policies and is supporting Jill Morgenthaler for Congress.”

Justin DeJong, Illinois Director of Communications for Obama for America

Jill Morgenthaler’s press release is here.

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