To the editor:

Open letter to all the Republicans and Democrats in Washington DC and this includes the Tea Party. Listen carefully because I'm only saying this once. Ok ok, I'll speak slowly.

We are not terribly impressed that you all have cut your huge staff budgets by 5%. If that is a symbolic gesture it falls short. It actually feels condescending like we are too stupid to understand that it is not terribly meaningful.

We would be more likely to listen to you if you did a few simple things that would not be just simple symbolism. Many of us feel that you have totally lost any real connection with us. It is our day to day existence that you all seem totally unaware of. You live a life style for the most part that is foreign to us. If you did several things that would bring you closer to our lives you may have a better understanding of how disgusted we are with the process and at times of you.

1. Lose the medical system you have and get what the rest of us have.
2. Lose the retirement system and get one that you pay into and you do not get to collect anything but a modest retirement after you have worked a lifetime...not for a few years.
3. Supplement your retirement with Social Security after a career of paying into it.
4. Stop using the contacts and insider knowledge you get while serving in an elected office to help big business manipulate the government. If you were doing charity work then by all means take that expertise into private industry. Using your contacts as elected Representatives and Senators smacks of not only going to the trough once too often but seems just plain wrong. I mean wrong in the way that would make my mother would poke me with her elbow when my mouth had run off (while my brain was otherwise occupied) and hiss at me, "Be Nice". What you are doing may be legal but it is not nice in the purest sense of the word. It borders on mean spirited and grubby. That is the way it makes me feel when you all do that.

Get over the fact that you are not special. You stood up and told us you were going to go to Washington DC to do our work. It has been a long time since that has truly happened. It gets kind of lost in the Political posturing and puffery. Nor are you different than us other than being grossly out of touch. Vote for term limits instead of accumulating power. Do the business of government. Stop implementing your personal agenda. Start making decisions that are good for America and not just your district, state, or political party. Stop the earmarks. Stop doing frivolous things like naming Federal Buildings after each other and making anything honorary. Go to work. Do your jobs. Stop fighting and name calling and have good honest and open debate. And after two terms for Representatives and one for Senators, go home and get a job.

And lest I forget, the next time you are honored to attend a State of the Union address, it would be nice if those that were reading (Yes you too Patty Murray) would have at least pretended to listen. It might have helped us think that you cared...... just a teensy.

Some final thoughts. What was the purpose of the House of Representatives taking valuable time and resources to take a meaningless vote on the Health Care Bill and then start working on a replacement document? Have you all taken leave of your senses. How can it be that you seem to not understand the low regard many of have for the institution? Are you all really that ignorant? The argument the Tea Party/Republicans put forth is really quite special. "Our constituents wanted us to do that." What a bogus thing to say. The voters in your districts know you were grandstanding as does every other voter in this country. For Gods sakes please get to the business governing. Stop treating the President as if he is your new favorite kick toy. It only demeans you and makes you look small.

To those that are doing their job Hear Hear. To the others, "You should be embarrassed".

John Spengler
West Seattle