Allen Boyd's Cap and Trade Vote Should Be the Real News, Not Michael Jackson

Logging on to my hometown news site tonight Tallahassee.com, I was hoping to see something on the historic "Cap and Trade" vote by the House of Representatives tomorrow, particularly something concrete on how my representative was going to vote. Instead I got what is plastered across every national news organization in America.

In case you didn't know it, Michael Jackson is dead. What I didn't know is how my representative, Allen Boyd was going to vote on this bill tomorrow as I couldn't get an answer myself from his office.

At 2:30pm today I called his Washington, DC office and spoke to Josh. Here's a synopsis of our conversation:

Me: "I was calling to find out how Congressman Boyd is voting on the Cap and Trade bill tomorrow."

Josh: "He's reviewing it."

Me: "Is he voting NO?"

Josh: "He hasn't decided. He's still reviewing it."

Me: "Reviewing it."

(Pause)

Me: "But has he read it yet?"

Josh: "No he hasn't"

Me: "Josh, the bill is 1200 pages long."

Josh: "Yes."

Me: "But he hasn't read it?"

Josh: "No."

(Long pause)

Me: "Um, ok. Will you please let him know that I am against it and I am asking him to vote NO?"

Josh: "Ok."

And there you have it. A bill that may potentially end up costing families $1300 a year from the get-go and up to $6800 by 2035. A bill being reviewed but not read. (Hey didn't we get shafted on another bill recently that no one read? To the tune of 787 billion dollars? Oh yeah, a speedreader was hired to go though it for us).

I was hoping that Congressman Boyd would have sped through it since 2:30pm today and the Tallahassee Democrat would have possibly contacted him and reported something on it. Needless to say I was disappointed. (They editorialized about the importance of saving turtles earlier this week to the tune of 6 million dollars but did not use their influence, speak out, and stand up for the little guy when it comes to a "tax" that will affect all of us.)

Did I mention this bill is a regressive tax being championed by the Democratic congress, a tax that will affect poor people the most? And they're going to try to slam it through. They are hoping you keep looking at Jon and Kate, Mark Sanford, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson while this just slides on by on Friday, the media day where bad or controversial news is always released because nobody's paying attention.

While Jon, Mike, Farrah and the like are all indeed sad, they do not take precedence over the important issue at hand, an issue that will negatively affect every American. And some, more than others.

Since Congressman Boyd has yet to decide on how he is going to vote, please call him at (202) 225-5235 and ask him to vote NO. (If you call his Tallahassee office about this issue, they'll simply transfer you to DC. Trust me, I know). Sphere: Related Content