Letter to Lawmakers

This morning I sent a version of the following letter to my federal lawmakers: Rep. Jim Cooper, Sen. Lamar Alexander and Sen. Bob Corker. I am awaiting their response. I know that I will receive a canned letter. In sending the letter to Cooper and Alexander, I noticed that unemployment was not listed on the pull down menu for subject of the letter. Only for Corker could I write in my issue, unemployment.

Both my husband and I are unemployed. John lost his job in September 2008; then six weeks later, I lost my job in November.

We have benefited from unemployment, the stimulus package and extensions to unemployment. I have benefited from the government picking up part of my payment for COBRA coverage. My husband has no insurance. When the government COBRA coverage expires, I will need to find an affordable option for insurance.

Collectively, we made over $XXXXXX in 2008. We have a fixed rate mortgage which we are paying through my retirement savings. We paid in federal taxes last year about what we are making this year with unemployment checks. Aren’t you as a legislator concerned about that tax deficient? There are many others like us.

I’ve tried to sell promotional products on commission and have just opened a pet sitting service for our neighborhood. I will probably net a negative income after expenses.

We need help. As a fifty-something, I sense that my age and my former income are detriments to me getting a job. My husband is in his late 40s. He cannot find employment because of his degree, although he has been willing to do unskilled labor jobs.

We have good health for now. We are not homeless. We have college degrees. What we do not have is confidence for our future.

Are there federal training programs available to us to help us get new employment? We want to be taxpayers, not government recipients.

Note about Tennessee Senator

From the Tennessean:

WASHINGTON — Sen. Lamar Alexander and his wife, Honey, are worth between $9.6 million and $36.6 million, making him one of the wealthier members of Congress, according to a personal financial disclosure statement released Friday.

Nashville Community Organizers Meet

This afternoon a group of community progressives met at a Nashville Community Organizers event. Although many members of the group are involved with the Tennessee Democratic Party, membership or participation is open to anyone wanting to promote progressive issues in the state.

Tennessee is a red state (Republican) for those of you not familiar with our politics, although we have a Democratic governor, Phil Bredesen.

Republicans and Independents are invited to be part of Nashville Community Organizers if their interests are progressive. I think that means liberal to most of us.

Two local groups presented their grassroots activities, Tennesseans for Fair Taxation and Tennessee Health Care Campaign. Not all attendees agreed with the Tennessee for Fair Taxation agenda. And that was okay with the organizers. It is preferable that we hear both sides of the story.

I learned some interesting facts from the meeting. Tennessee has the most personal bankruptcies of any state in the USA. One attendee remarked the most of the bankruptcies were due to medical bills. One bipartisan fact I learned from the meeting is that our Republican senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, tend to vote progressively on healthcare issues.

The Nashville Community Organizers group was formed from those supporting Barack Obama.

Stimulus Bill Supporters Gather

Today at noon in front of Senators Corker and Alexander’s Nashville offices, supporters of the stimulus package will gather at the corner of West End Avenue
and Murphy Road (3322 West End Avenue).

I have appointments at 11 a.m. and then at 1 p.m. or I would be there.