So today I read about an effort in the Senate to hold up unemployment benefits for jobless Americans. I don't usually write to Congress people. Mostly I figure that the email will be read, notated by a junior staffer, and discarded with the flood of stuff they must get daily. One Senator that is blocking the bill is Massachussetts Senator Scott Brown. I decided to write and express my view nonetheless; Here is the letter:


Hi Scott,

While I am not a voter in your district, I ask that you and all of your fellow Republican representatives, please consider the people of Michigan when you are considering unemployment benefits.

Neither my wife nor myself are workers employed in the auto industry. Yet we are seeing the results of this economic downturn in our family. While I have been able to hold on to my position, my wife was involved in a downsizing one year ago. Without these important safety nets (unemployment), our family will contribute in a very real way to the financial crisis seen in America.

My wife and I were both involved in non profits, both of us exchanging monetary security for the opportunity to do good in the world. So when my wife's non-profit had a bad year last year they had to lay off five people. With cuts to the budget we are doing okay.

But when the benefits run out, here is the cascading effect. First, we prioritize, cutting credit bills, phone service and utilities in favor of keeping our house and giving food to our two children. This will contribute further to the slide in the financial industries (albeit, in our own small way). Then the banks will crush the credit rating which we so carefully cultivated for over five years together. Our interest rates all go to over 29% on the small but cumbersome debt we hold. We are not able to dig out for seven years, or we go the route of bancruptcy. Just another America family who is try to make it.

Mulitply this by the millions of Americans who are hanging on by their fingernails. This not about willingness to work or Republican ideals of smaller government. Make no mistake, this is a crisis of enourmous magnitude that will affect America for years to come. I agree that government debt is onerous. But, in this case you are holding good voting Americans hostage with your ideals. a thorny problem, but I for one tend to come down on the side of the American people.
With Hope for the best,
James Taylor