Here is a thoughtful (though belated) response from my congressman. He is an exception to my "vote against incumbents" policy.

Congressman Geoff Davis wrote..

Dear Careby:

Thank you for contacting me about our govermnent’s approach to the economic crisis over the past year and the various bailout measures considered by Congress. You and I are in complete agreement that taxpayer funds are not being used wisely and that our approach to this crisis should be different.

I have opposed each and every bailout, from the bailouts of Bear Steams and AIG to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the automakers to the banks through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

During debate of every bailout bill to come before the House, many members were unfortunately convinced they had no choice but to vote in favor of massive government spending to bailout private companies. However, no one can dispute the fact that nearly every economic measure of our economy is actually worse now after passing the bills than before.

As you may know, Congress is now debating a second economic stimulus package. This so-called ‘stimulus’ legislation is full of pet spending projects that will do very little to restore confidence in our economy or create jobs. When all is said and done, this bill will cost Americans over one trillion dollars, and is only expected to reduce the unemployment rate by maybe one percent.

Congress must remember that more government spending is not in and of itself a solution to a slow economy. Congress should instead recognize that individuals and entrepreneurs have always driven growth in our economy. The U.S. economy has soared when federal government spending has shrunk and slowed at times of large government expansion. A lower percentage of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) being consumed by government has provided our nation with stronger economic growth in recent history than that of European nations with much higher percentages of GDP accounted for by government spending. Our goal should not be to replicate France’s economy, but instead to incentivize job creation by promoting small businesses and entrepreneurs through lower taxes, more reasonable regulations, and limited government.

Our federal deficit will exceed one trillion dollars this year. The stimulus package currently before Congress would double the projected deficit. We cannot afford to continue to haphazardly borrow money to bail out failing industries without any assurance that the problems will be solved or that taxpayers’ money will be ultimately returned to the Treasury in full.

I remain committed to policies that will result in the greatest economic benefit for our nation and provide the quickest turnaround possible for our nation’s financial success. I share your concerns and thank you for contacting me about these issues that are vitally important to our nation. I will keep your views in mind as additional proposals are debated in Congress.

For the latest on this issue and other issues before Congress, please sign up to receive the Fourth District E-mail Newsletter by visiting http://geoffdavis.house. gov/EmailSignup.aspx.

Sincerely,

Geoff Davis
Member of Congress

He is also highly rated by the NRA.