He ‘Assumes’ Congress Knows Better

To The Editor:
The recent response by Sen. Robert Menendez to Art Hall’s column was interesting and informative.
The senator objected to the critique that our politicians appear to be out of touch. The senator proposes that the TARP monies returned to the government be used to create jobs. The TARP “loans” were to be returned to the Treasury to reduce our debt. The $900 billion “Stimulus” was for job creation. Followed by another $12 billion approved jobs bill. Perhaps our Congress should consider thought before borrowing and spending hundreds of billions that the U. S. is borrowing.
Insofar as being callous, only 40 percent of the approved original stimulus spending and unemployment remains close to 10 percent. Are the “concerned” elected officials going to spend the remaining 60 percent of the stimulus right before the elections? Just call me a cynic.
Menendez blames the excesses of Wall Street for our economic problems. It appeared to me that the housing bubble caused the economic crisis, of which our senator is on the oversight committee of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Wall Street purchased and bundled those toxic mortgages, the majority created by Fannie, Freddie and the FHA.
Menendez suggested that Hall assumed that our elected officials were callously unaware of the plight of all New Jersey families…really, let us review that thought. We all know the analogy that when you assume, what that makes you and me. The people objected to the lack of specifics of the “plan,” the backroom deals to certain states, the closed-door meetings, the trillion dollar costs and once again, most in Congress did not read or understand the 2,600 pages of the bill. When the bill was approved by four votes, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “Now we will get a chance to read the bill!”
Senator, I believe that it is questionable policy to assume what someone has said after reading it. It appears to be clear, i.e., all polls print and electronic media indicate that the bill and the very low approval rating of the Congress is not an assumption. I believe the people continue to express their views but Congress continues to assume they know better.
AL CROSSEN
North Wildwood