Off topic, but only a little

Dear Texas Senators,

I am a very disheartened and disgusted constituent after reading about the budget issue and the fact that Social Security Disability and Veterans benefits may not be paid in August (and who knows when after?).

Being a recipient of SSDI, this issue not only scares me but sends me into a near-blind rage. This government is supposed to be "for the people, by the people, and of the people", yet it seems to be an entity that lives solely on its own and acts for its own purposes. Our United States Government seems to exist just to HURT the people.

Speaking as a private citizen, this is not our debt. Not our deficit. Not our budget. We have our own debts, deficits and budgets to contend with. We were not given the choice to approve the billions (or trillions) of dollars in bail-out money given to multi-million dollar companies. We are not given a choice in deciding that the same multi-billion dollar companies skimp on their taxes. We do not get to weigh in on the decision to give Senators and Congressmen raises. 

No, instead we are threatened to lose our disability pay and our Medicare. Systems we paid into while working and paying our taxes.

Instead of trying to take away the meager disability pay we receive (and can barely live on as it is), why not make those companies pay taxes? Why not make them pay back that bail-out money? Why not force the Senators, Congressmen, and the damn President to take a pay cut or lose a month's pay?

I've already lost my house, my car, and my livelihood to my disability. This is something I cannot change. My Social Security is ALL I have to get by, and I still have to take handouts from friends and family just to be able to afford my medication. I had to go to a charity this month to get my electricity turned back on. If I don't receive my full SSDI check next month, I don't know what is to become of me. I was supposed to finally start receiving my Medicare next month, and now I'm afraid that will be affected as well. Without my check and Medicare, I'll have nothing. No home. No electricity. No medication.

So next month when you cash your substantial paycheck, buy food, pay bills, maybe even go out to eat (something I have not been able to do in years), I want you to think of the millions of American citizens who are going without because Capitol Hill refused to look at other ways to balance YOUR budget, decrease YOUR deficit, or increase YOUR revenue. 

We, as citizens, are not the ones who should be punished or fiscally raped. Please keep that in mind while trying to work through this debacle created by the United States Government.

Sincerely, a once self-proclaimed, card-carrying Republican (nevermore, nevermore) and now leaning towards Libertarian,

Jessica in Texas

Please feel free to copy, edit, and send this same letter to YOUR state senators! I've already sent it to the Texas senators. Haven't the disabled suffered enough?