Sen. Pat Toomey (R) announced his candidacy for re-election today.
He lost my vote some time ago when he voted against an amendment (S Amdt 3018) that prohibited the indefinite detention of citizens and lawful permanent residents. He was one of 25 Republicans that tried to defeat that amendment in the Senate. Thankfully, that amendment passed.
His vote told me all I needed to know about how much he values a citizens civil liberties.
He is also no friend of the environment, having sponsored and introduced a Bill that favored the Keystone XL Pipeline on January 6, 2015. Like our former Governor Corbett, Toomey is in the pocket of the Oil and Gas Industry.
Toomey isn’t a believer in government transparency, either. Of 8 Bills introduced in the Senate that would provide more transparency in Government, he sponsored or co-sponsored none of them. Govtrack.us gave Toomey a report card score of “0” in support of transparency legislation.
Those are only three issues that I’m in disagreement with, but what really bothers me is his feigned concern of what Pennsylvania residents think and how he wants to hear from them.
A couple of weeks ago I used Toomey’s contact link on his Senate website to send him a message asking that some type of official U.S. government recognition be given to the Americans that stopped the terrorist attack on that train in France.
Since there was no category offered in his website’s dropdown menu regarding the subject, I chose “Veterans” because two of the participants were members of the Armed Services. I had assumed that somebody would actually read the body of my message.
Apparently, neither he, nor his staff, actually read what was sent. Instead, they looked at the category chosen and sent me back a canned response.
This is what I received, as his reply:
Thank you for contacting me about supporting America’s veterans. I appreciate hearing from you.
As you know, Pennsylvania has one of the largest populations of veterans in the country. In light of their tremendous sacrifices, our nation owes them a debt of gratitude and must uphold its commitments. Although our nation faces tough fiscal times, I understand how important it is that we continue to provide quality medical care and other benefits to all veterans, both to those who served a generation ago and to those just returning from fighting in the war against terrorism.
Since joining the Senate, I have been working to help Pennsylvania’s veterans obtain the services and benefits they rightfully deserve and welcome the opportunity to be of assistance. I also look forward to working with my Senate colleagues on additional ways to help ensure the welfare of our veterans and their families. Please be assured that I welcome and value your input on this important issue.
Thank you again for your correspondence. Please feel free to contact me in the future if I can be of any assistance.
Sincerely,
Pat Toomey
U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania
That response had nothing to do with my message to his office. I’m certainly not going to bother contacting him again with any real concerns. Why bother, when nobody reads what is sent to them. I have even less respect for him than I did before because of the lip service he has made apparent.
I am going to perform an additional test, though. I’m sending him another letter (below) to see if I get the response I should get. That being, You are a nut.
My bet is that I get another pre-written, automated response that tells me how much he cares about the unemployed and how he supports legislation that provides jobs.
Dear Sen. Toomey,
I believe job creation is an important issue for unemployed Pennsylvanians. Jobs should be created that are long lasting and serve a productive goal.
I have a suggestion that I would like your opinion on, as it would solve the unemployment issue.
Currently, the unemployment rate is reported to be 5.5%. Many think it is much higher due to those who have fallen off the reporting statistics because they have dropped out of the system after their benefits have expired. I believe the solution would be to begin construction of a large canal connecting the two oceans on our eastern and western borders.
What needs to be done is the ramping up of production of large soup spoons and buckets. These will be supplied to the unemployed who will line the bank of the Rio Grande River. They will begin digging along the bank in order to deepen and widen the areas of the river where needed, to facilitate the passage of our largest warships and oil tankers. The removed material can be carried by the buckets to other workers who can use that material to build a larger and stronger border wall, or possibly in building adobe style homes for those working along the river. As each spoon is worn down, a new one is issued.
Once this portion is completed the work is more than half done and it is a simple matter of extending the canal through three additional states heading west. There would likely be work for at least three or four generations of Americans, from working age to retirement, plus the added benefit of supporting the metalworks industries. If you find this idea isn’t feasible, a system of canals thoughout Pennsylvania using barges to transport goods, will alleviate truck traffic on our highways and bring back the struggling oxen driver workers, many of whom are having difficulty finding employment in our current economy.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
