While The Economy DeKlines, CD2 Pays

My..My..My..Congressman Kline (MN R) must have decided to start running for re-election. I'm sure that's the reason for the multitude of mailings and invites throughout the Second Congressional District...at taxpayer expense! I got mine on protecting 'the children', my friends in Eagan got one on 'protecting our borders' (which is kind of funny if you think about it...what? Are we afraid that Apple Valley will storm in and demand to rename streets?) and in Northfield Kline sent out invitations on 'Rx rights' for seniors. All were paid for by...TAXPAYER'S EXPENSE!

With the news today that the deficit is hitting a new high of over $400 BILLION, why is John Kline squandering our tax money on self promotion?

Is it too much to ask that Mr. Kline spend his time and our money doing his job? How about balancing the budget, or provide adequate services to Americans like education and affordable healthcare, or giving us moral leadership in WA,DC instead of pandering to criminals like Delay and his legislation, Cunningham and his projects, or Abramoff's special interests. It's time for the gravy train of handouts from John Kline and the rest of the GOP controlled Congress to big corporations and wealthy individuals to stop.

If Kline was really doing his job, the benefits of his actions would show within our community. Instead we have inadequate mass transportation (how long does it take you to get to work?), under funded school mandates (leave no dime behind!), skyrocketing property taxes (yes I said tax not fee), and out of control healthcare costs. No amount of pretty pictures on glossy paper will rectify any of these problems. Only a person with the backbone to stand up and speak the truth will enact change.

Here's a letter published today in the Northfield News by another dis-satisfied constituent:

To the Editor:

Our mail carrier brought us a "Goodie" this afternoon. A full color invitation, mailed to Minnesota's Congressional Second District Seniors from Congressman John Kline, to attend one of two Medicare Rx information sessions he's hosting in Rosemount in January.

Hey, Congressman Kline. You're a little late. The Senior Linkage Line from the Minnesota Board on Aging has held sessions at rhe Northfield Senior Center and, I presume, at other senior centers around the state since at least November. What took you so long?

Why do I suspect that the purpose of the mailing was more to promote Congressman Kline in an election year than to provide information to us seniors? Maybe because it says on the front: "This mailing prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense." Maybe because our esteemed congressman has co-opted a program that was running just fine before he noticed it.

Perhaps if Congressman Kline spent a little more time around his district and less time raising money in Washington, DC, he would have noticed that the Senior Linkage Line program has been here before and said "This isn't my idea, but it's a great program so I want to help publicize it." And maybe, just maybe, he would have decided, "The Federal Government is spending enough money. I'll pick up the tab for this mailing myself."

He could have sent a postcard printed in black and white, no picture, but what the heck. The taxpayer is paying for it. Let's go for a full-size, full-color sheet.

There's a big difference between what Mr. Kline could have done and what he did do. And we're paying for it. Sound familiar?
Michael Romanov
Northfield