Monday, September 29, 2008

Travis Childers: Why I Voted Against the Bailout

Thanks to the Jackson Free Press for the lead:

From Travis Childers:

Hard-working families are struggling in the face of job losses and home foreclosures resulting from overall economic instability. They are justifiably angry about a bailout that would require them to dig deeper into their pockets to rescue Wall Street from its own recklessness.

Earlier this year, I voted against a budget that would raise the federal debt to an unprecedented level. Today, I was again compelled to vote my conscience against a massive debt increase. While I appreciate the bi-partisan effort to craft this legislation, at the end of the day, I could not, in good conscience, vote for a bailout of Wall Street that would increase our national debt by such magnitude and place such a heavy and undue burden on working families.

However, there was considerable progress made by including provisions for oversight and accountability over the past week. While it was still not convincing enough for me or my constituents, I will keep an open mind as negotiations continue in hopes that a more fiscally responsible plan that ensures protection of hard-working Americans will be presented.

A central concern is the fundamental issue of fairness. Asking every American to shoulder an additional $2,300 in debt because of Wall Street's reckless mistakes is incredibly unfair. Working families have been left on the sidelines for far too long as tax breaks and special treatment have been handed to the wealthiest and most powerful interests. The average American's stake in the economy needs to be protected.

I look forward to negotiating a plan that makes sense for American taxpayers, and will continue to put North Mississippians first as the effort to reach a fiscally responsible, bi-partisan solution continues.

5 comments:

  1. I am undecided on this bail out issue. Where do the posters at Cotton Mouth stand?

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  2. Personally, I want to see more than the financial package. I want to see what is going to be done to correct the market problems that got us here. I want to see some measure of accountability. I want someone to explain it to us without using the word 'bailout'. I don't want to bailout anyone. I want to stabalize the markey so my parents can retire as planned in a few years. It's a sad commentary when the president, his cabinet, leaders of both political parties push for a deal but the american public doesn't trust them enough to say, alright. This must be what it feels like to be buuuuusssshhhhheeeeddddddd.

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  3. We need some sort of rescue effort. I am just not sure if this was the right bill. I want more oversight and more foreclosure protection.

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  4. By voting against the bailout, Travis Childers and the rest of the Mississippi Democratic congressional delegation have embarrassed and disappointed every level-headed Mississippian that knows the least bit about economics and American history. I realize that more Repubs. voted against the bill nationally, but it was the exact opposite her in MS. By their votes, Thompson, Taylor, and Childers have revealed to me that they prefer to keep their jobs over making SOME TYPE OF EFFORT to stabilize the U.S. economy. It is truly sickening to know, without a doubt, that if it were not an election year the bill would have passed almost unanimously. Pickering was the lone MS. Congressman that had the cajones to vote FOR the bill(probably because he has nothing to lose, anyway!).

    For the first time in my life, I truly feel -- and I am serious -- that I have NO LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON D.C.

    It is a joke. It is pure theater(most of the time entertaining, but right now scary and sickening).

    I don't understand how such a vast number of American voters can have such a gross disbelief of the very real connection between Wall Street and Main Street.geaux

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  5. Peckerwood,

    He did what he should have done and that is not increase the debt of the American people and increasing the tax burden on the middle class. Also, Government is continuing to prove they are not the solution. Instead of actually evaluating the situation they are rushing into this with out careful thought. When the plan starting off as 2 pages and now grown to 450 there is no way to actually analyze this before making a solid vote. I am hoping Childers votes no again with the reformed bill.

    The economy is not doing as bad as reported. We should not judge our economy by wall street. The market is already correcting itself. Banks that are failing are being purchased by bigger banks who can afford to take on their debt. Some banks are even reporting profit!

    We should not have another Patriot act type knee jerk on the hill. It will hurt us in the long run

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