Shut It Down

To my congressman:

Listen to the Freshmen. Remember you were there -- as a freshman -- in the Republican Revolution of 1995 when real "real change" came to the Congress. You balanced the budget, held votes on issues that had long been ignored and reset the public debate.

Today, the federal budget is too big and Obamacare is too expensive. That's what the Freshmen congressmen are saying.

Do not vote for a budget fails to cut spending. The ideas being put forth by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan make sense practically, if not politically.

We can stand a government shutdown better than we can survive continued spending at the current levels.

In any shutdown, the government doesn't completely cease functioning. Activities that are essential to national security, such as military operations, can continue. Air traffic control and other public safety functions are exempt from shutdowns. Federal prisons still operate; law enforcement and criminal investigations can continue. Employees deemed essential to the functioning of government will still go to work.

Federal employees — the government workforce includes more than 1.9 million civilian workers — will be "without pay" in the event of a shutdown. But as soon as the budget is passed, the pay is restored and they have enjoyed a paid vacation.

Remember that this is the current year's budget -- one that should have been passed in fall of 2010 when the Democrats still had the votes to push it through the Congress. If you don't make the cuts now, how will you be able to do it in next year's budget.

Be strong, hold firm and maintain your conservative principles.

A Voter.