Dear Editor:Forgive me for not swooning over the "courageous" vote of our Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard that extended unemployment benefits yet again despite the objections of those "mean" Republicans who simply said we should have the money to pay for the benefits in hand before we pay them. How dare they! News flash: The federal government is broke. Roybal-Allard herself voted for the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act in 2009 but must have suffered from "can't keep all those votes straight in my head" syndrome. It is, after all, terribly generous and brave of her to spend other people's future money in the face of minority opposition. And that future money will be coming on Jan. 1, 2011 when the Democrats stick all of us, not just the rich, with one of the biggest tax increases in history. We all have to pay, but I'm betting the Democrats will find a way to exempt themselves from their own rules like they did with the health care bill. Even more distressing is the fact that Roybal-Allard voted to extend welfare while also voting for every anti-jobs bill on the floor of the House like the industry crushing camp and trade bill that has fortunately died in the Senate, the "oops, it really will be too expensive" health care bill, and the financial reform bill that does nothing to punish Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (probably because Rep. Barney Frank wrote the bill) and does quite a bit to punish small businesses. For those who truly do want a job, I suggest you swallow your pride and start doing those jobs that "Americans won't do" because good jobs won't be forthcoming. For those who enjoy being paid not to work, it's your lucky day. Thanks, Roybal-Allard. -- Alaina Niemann, Downey

Dear Editor: Our Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard recently sent out a "Summer E-Newsletter", one of the few communications from afar we receive from her. So, I responded. I suspect my response will fall into the proverbial computer bit-bucket, one more electron to be snuffed into that great black hole on the Potomac. But with the Patriot I may find my wisdom lying in the driveway, sometimes face down, sometimes face up, and my dog will always tell me how he loves to see his master in print. Great are the wonders of unconditional love. This was my response to Roybal-Allard: Dear Congresswoman Roybal-Allard: I received your E-Newsletter and was not impressed. As a businessman when I'm concerned about the interests of a customer I go and see them, face to face, and listen to them. I don't write a note and pretend I'm communicating because that's such an obvious one way street. Suddenly, with an election imminent, up you take a little staff time to email your constituents while for the other 22 months we barely hear from you. There is still controversy going on over the very unpopular health bill being forced upon the nation and you have said little or nothing and appear to be out of step with the majority of the voters in your district. And then there's the little thing about immigration, the lack of enforcement of our borders that you haven't addressed. In the 70's I worked with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. On about the second day of my full time volunteer stint everybody from Keene was patrolling the border near Yuma, AZ. Cesar was very aware the lack of enforcement hurt the farm workers badly and only helped the growers. So here we are almost forty years later with the likes of you still not wanting to control the border with Mexico. God forbid if you try and portray yourself as someone interested in the welfare of the Hispanic community because you aren't or you would have stepped up to the plate long ago in favor of stricter enforcement of our immigration laws. As I said, and you may have otherwise guessed, I'm not impressed. A suggestion is that you step aside and let a fresh face (prayerfully not a career politician) take over. Considering the state of our nation, even a cigar store Indian would do no worse. -- Scott Ramey, Downey

********** Published: August 5, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 16