Rep. Ron Klein

March 2, 2008

Congressman Ron Klein

800 East Broward Boulevard

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

RE: The Law of Unintended Consequences or do you really like Hugo Chavez?

Congressman Klein,

Laying aside for the nonce, only for the nonce, whether or not punishing successful American oil companies will either increase the amount of crude oil available for overused refineries to make gasoline or somehow, and let’s not forget the power of prayer, decrease the price of gasoline at the pump, you voted for HR 5321.

The end result of this legislation is to give Hugo Chavez and his captive oil company CITGO a substantial tax break. That such tax break is at the expense of domestic American oil companies was given no consideration. Should these companies have to lay off, make redundant, fire – There is still doubt on which is the correct word for being told that you are not working here anymore – some employees I don’t think Senator B. Hussein Obama could claim them as “victims” of NAFTA. I suppose Hillary the Hecate could claim that the ladies among them were victims of genderitis but that’s not why I write it being a horse, perhaps mare would be better, of a different color.

Are you a secret ally of Hugo Chavez? Are you a one man 5^th column? Perhaps a Quisling? Why, when the yeas and nays were requested on HR5321, did you vote for this thug? Why would you vote against American workers, American companies, and American stockholders?

Senator H. Rodham Clinton has cast lustful eyes at the balance sheet of Exxon. She has said that she will “take” those profits and do marvelous things with them. When her husband was President he made his tax increases retroactive to 1/1/93. His chief advisor, Robert Rubin, conveniently cashed out his impressive stack of chips from Goldman Sachs on 12/31/92. His tax bill was lowered by a considerable amount of money. 2 points about that are: #1 – He “cost” the United States government a considerable amount of money. #2 – “Nothing lost save honor” still has credence.

I suggest a quicker path to increasing revenues to the Federal government. You know from your experience as a lobbyist in Tallahassee that Big Oil will not take their medicine quietly. That Big Oil has the money and a curious belief in the First Amendment, particularly the part about “petitioning for a redress of grievances”, is a given.

There is a quicker way to get more money into the Federal coffers.

Paying for health care, paying for universal health care, paying for intergalactic health care, paying for retroactive health care to cover those who died in the Big Flu after World War 1, paying for the victims of the Black Plague, paying for those who died in the pestilence that was part of the Peloponnesian War, paying for those Egyptians who felt the wrath of Moses, a man known for being “stiff necked”, will cost a lot of money. Correction. What’s bigger than “a lot”? How about ginormous? How about all that there is?

Herewith my modest proposal.

Eliminate the tax deduction for interest on home mortgages.

Why should people who do not own homes have to subsidize those who do? How many more hours do you want the single mom who is a woman of color with children in need of a good Ritalin program to work because some rich White guy can deduct his mortgage interest?

This would level the playing field of social policy and create a tsunami of dollars rushing into the Federal government. It would cure the deficit almost overnight. Plus, it would allow for the full funding of existing social policies that were never given a fair chance because of niggardly funding. “Midnight basketball” and “alternative shopping”, both great ideas from Congresswoman Maxine Waters, are two that leap to mind.

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?

There is an unconfirmed rumor but since The New York Times puts unconfirmed rumors on Page 1 how can I not but ask, that should Senator Bambi be elected, he will have Chavez and Osama Bin Laden at his inaugural.

Since you have already voted for Chavez could help me get some tickets to his swearing in?

B. Hussein’s, not Chavez’s.