Monday, April 19, 2010

Pamela Gorman for Congress: Tipping Point





Greetings:


I’m writing today because I’m increasingly convinced that we right now have reached a critical moment in our nation’s history. We are coming perilously close to the “tipping point” after which it will be increasingly difficult for us to change the course like we desperately need to do.


Perhaps you saw the recent news stories that indicated that 47 percent of Americans pay no federal income tax. While fewer people pay any income taxes at all, we are also seeing an expansion of government with the Obama administration where more and more Americans are entitled to benefits from the federal government paid for with “other people’s money (yours and mine).”




You may have also seen recent news reports that growing numbers of Americans are willing to be open to tax increases ... and there is a good reason for that dynamic taking place. Those Americans who pay no federal income taxes are growing and of course increasing numbers of them are willing to support higher taxes on the rest of us to support federal programs which allow them to receive increasing federal benefits.


That is the political reality and why, if current trends are allowed to continue, we will have created in our nation a reality where more people are getting benefits from our government than are paying for all those benefits. We’re part of the pool that is becoming a minority and are expected to give more and more of our tax dollars to fund those beneficiaries of “other people’s money.”


From a political perspective, that is the dangerous place we are approaching. Liberal Democrats like President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid fully understand this political reality. It is their hope that they can weather this storm in order to reach critical political mass, where a majority of Americans supporting increasing tax burdens on those of us that pay taxes in order to expand government spending and social programs so more and more people can receive those funds.


That political reality is immediate. It’s dangerous. And we need to fight to stop it right now.


I’m sorry to bring you down, but the political crisis we are facing in that regard is the least scary half of this story. The financial crisis that we are facing is even worse.


First and foremost, the aforementioned dynamic where more and more people are receiving government benefits and fewer and fewer are paying taxes to the government creates a financial Ponzi scheme that simply cannot work. We’re already seeing our possible future being played out in Europe where the ever smaller “paying class” in Greece has recently taken to rioting in the streets. It’s critically important that we change course immediately to avoid the same fate. We’ve got to work together to put an end to the Democrat majority in Congress in order to stop President Obama from passing any more of his radical, dangerous agenda into law. And we must start moving in the opposite direction.


As it is well known, “A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.” That statement is absolutely true and it’s the Utopian ideal that President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama are attempting to create.


That’s scary enough, in and of itself, but the fact of the matter is that our government is broke. We’re not simply muddling through “lean times” which we’ll bounce out of as the economy begins to rebound. The economy won’t rebound if government continues to take increasing dollars out of the private sector and uses it to expand federal entitlements that will grow over time when we don’t even have the revenue to pay for them in the present.


When campaigning for office and discussing the federal budget deficit and the growing federal debt, many conservatives and Republicans used to argue that it was unfair and irresponsible of us to pass on all this debt to our children and our grandchildren. Those folks, of course, were right. But right now, we aren’t only threatening the futures of our children and grandchildren, we’re headed for economic disaster within the next decade if we don’t stop this radical agenda from expanding and start the long, painful process of turning this ship around immediately.


According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Obama budget plan will produce $10 TRILLION in deficits from 2011 to 2020. By the end of the decade, our total national debt would top $20 TRILLION or 90 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). To provide a little perspective, over the past 220 years, the accumulated only $5.8 trillion of federal debt. So over the next decade, under the Obama budgets, we will increase more than four times the level of national debt we’ve accumulated over the last 220 years! And, we’re beholden to China because they are the only country loaning us that money. That is a dangerous situation.


So now, not surprisingly, President Obama makes the claim that he wants to focus on reducing the federal deficit. Oh he most certainly will focus on the deficit, but he’s demonstrated that he will pursue ONE METHOD of attempting to decrease the federal deficit and that is by increasing our taxes.


He is increasing government spending and the size of government at an alarming rate. This has been the Obama plan all along. It is his way to achieve the socialism he desires in the United States. His plan was to increase the deficit in order to create the forces that support higher taxes that will result in a PERMANENT and expanded public sector. Once spending increases are matched with tax hikes, those spending increases remain forever. That is why I have pledged to vigorously oppose any and all efforts to increase federal taxes should I be honored with the opportunity to represent Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District.


THAT is why President Obama is now talking about reducing the deficit. That is why he is encouraging all media outlets -- and even the liberal San Francisco Chronicle -- to talk about the dangerous level of our deficits. He’s doing it to support increased taxes to respond to the “deficit crisis.” Before taking office, President Obama’s incoming Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said of the disastrous economy “never let a crisis go to waste.” They didn’t. They pursued federal bailouts for Wall Street investment firms, banks, the nation’s largest insurance company, and a bailout of the nation’s largest auto manufacturer. And over the objections of a majority of Americans, they forced government health care down our throats.


With the current increase in the deficits and the federal debt, they have reached a new low. Now they have deliberately CREATED a new (and very real) crisis in order to “never let a crisis go to waste” and permanently entrench expanded federal entitlement programs by creating a national call (from a growing segment of society who pay NO FEDERAL INCOME TAXES) for increased taxes in response to this dangerous deficit crisis they’ve created. According to the Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee, the current Congressional majority has passed and President Obama has ALREADY signed 25 different tax increases totaling $670 billion over the next ten years.


Many of those tax increases are built into the Obamacare monstrosity that I have pledged to work to repeal should I be given the opportunity to represent you in Congress. But, the current administration will also significantly increase taxes on all Americans by allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire. They are also reinstating the increased death tax, have a myriad of new taxes and penalties on business, are already laying the groundwork for a European-style “value added tax” (VAT) or national sales tax and are once again behind closed doors negotiating a “cap and tax” energy plan that the President admitted is an effort to dramatically increase the cost of energy on all Americans.


Not only is their energy plan and radical environmentalism dangerous policy at any time, but it’s absolutely disastrous when we are in the midst of a horrible recession. Their policies will make our recession deeper. They will increase the length of our recession and they will hurt Americans in every aspect of our existence.


That is why I have laid out a clear and specific (and conservative) agenda that will allow us to meet our nation’s energy needs for the next century, will not increase taxes, will encourage investment, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, allow us to benefit from our nation’s vast and diverse energy reserves and most importantly put Americans and Arizonans to work in good-paying, dependable jobs meeting America’s energy needs in an environmentally-responsible fashion.


I hope I’ve helped you understand what has become increasingly clear to me over the last several months. We are in crisis now. The crisis is real. The administration is deliberately creating (and attempting to take advantage) of these crises in order to move us closer to a socialistic state, where government has increasing influence on and control of the lives of Americans.


I love this country. It’s why I first ran for office and have fought to honor the promises and pledges I made to my constituents when I ran for office. I didn’t lead the fight against the proposed $3 billion tax increase on Arizona working families, seniors and small businesses because I wanted to be difficult. I was difficult and I will continue to be difficult because increasing taxes and putting more money in the hands of government, instead of leaving it in the hands of people who earned it (who use it to increase savings and create jobs) is a bad idea.


I’ve been extremely encouraged by the increasing number of diverse, concerned Americans who have stood up, participated in tea party organizations and other groups and attempted to be heard by our government. I’ve attended many of those meetings and rallies and I’m truly optimistic that we have the energy and passion available to us to make a difference and change the direction of our country in November.


But, as I told the Arizona Patriot Caucus two weeks ago when I spoke at their initial organizational meeting “it’s time to take the passion to the pavement.” Rallies are good. Calling and writing our elected officials is important. The value of holding planning and organizational meetings, communicating with one another and sharing information cannot be overstated. But that’s only half the picture. We did all of those things and even convinced a majority of Americans that Obamacare was a bad idea and we didn’t support it.


Ultimately, President Obama and the Democratic Congress didn’t care and passed it anyway. And now, we have to use our power as a people to utilize the opportunity that the U.S. Constitution provides us. We have the power to impact WHO will represent us in the United States Congress. And the way we do that is twofold: we donate money and we donate time to the conservative candidates who understand the critical precipice upon which our nation sits right now. We evaluate the candidates and consider their records (all politicians TALK a good game, especially at election time), but we need to support candidates who have not just talked the talk, but walked the walk.


I am someone who has walked the walk and I would appreciate your support. It was not a comfortable place to be in as a member of the Senate Leadership when our new Republican Governor said she wants to raise taxes by $3 billion and wanted me to help. It was not a comfortable place to be when my Senate President said we need to pass a tax increase to balance a budget that spent more money on government programs than we could afford. But, being uncomfortable in fighting for my constituents is something I was used to as a consistent conservative voice in the legislature. The simple fact of the matter is that I am firmly committed to conservative principles. I promised the people who elected me to represent them that I would oppose any and all efforts to raise taxes and that’s what I did. While it was unpleasant and uncomfortable for me, I would remind myself that the revolutionary leaders who established the principles that I fought for in the tax battle (our founding fathers), faced death by hanging in order to fight for their beliefs and this country.


It is nice to see many of the other candidates and some state elected officials rally to oppose Prop 100 and it’s $3 billion tax increase now. I honestly do celebrate anyone that will help on this fight. But when you’re considering who to support with your time, your money and your vote ... ask how many of them where there to stand up and fight and do everything they could to stop that horrible tax increase. I can tell you that it was a pretty lonely place, but I believe even more now than ever that fighting that tax increase was the right thing to do.


And I need your help. I very much appreciate the support I’ve received from so many across Arizona and across the country. And, while my fundraising numbers aren’t as high as some of my opponents (none of whom were in the same place I was fighting the tax increase when it mattered), I’m proud that my donations are in comparatively small amounts. I’m receiving checks for $200, $50, even a nice woman in Georgia sent $20.10 because she recognizes how important it is to have true, demonstrated conservatives in office come year 2010.


Who do you think will stand up and fight for ordinary Americans in Congress? Will it be the candidate who raises money hand over fist from huge investment banking firms? Or will it be the only candidate who has demonstrated a commitment to conservative principles under fire, faced intense pressure and stood firm ... and is building a campaign built on $25 and $50 and $250 donations from good Arizonans who simply share a concern about the direction we’re headed and want someone to stand up for them?


I need you to consider putting your “passion to the pavement” and visiting my website at www.gorman2010.com and making a donation today. If I can find 12 people to make a $200 donation ... I can match the $2400 donation an inexperienced opponent raised from a Wall Street investment banking firm. If I can find 24 people to donate $100, I can match the $2400 contribution an opponent receives from a national bank president who is benefiting from the federal bailouts. If I can find 48 people to donate $50, I can match an opponent’s $2400 donation from a business partner who like him has built his business on government contracts and tax dollars being paid to his business.


I think we all have to ask, when push comes to shove, and the banking lobbyists, and the Wall Street investment firms and the big government contractors come leaning on your Congressman, which one of the candidates is going to be the one most likely to stand up for you?


Please visit www.gorman2010.com and read my positions on the issues. And please, click on “Contribute” and help me do what we need to do to put the government to work for the people, rather than the other way around. And last, please forward this to your own contact list so we can spread the word.


I can’t do it without you and I can’t thank you enough.


Sincerely,

Pamela Gorman



 
 


      

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