I just called my GOP congressman about the bankruptcy bill.

I read to them what the bill does NOT contain, and they were surprised. I pointed out it will hurt Republicans and Democrats alike. They did not know any of this.

The bill does NOT do these things:
1.Preserve existing bankruptcy protections for
individuals experiencing economic distress as caregivers to ill or disabled family members.

2.Exempt debtors whose financial problems were
caused by serious medical problems from means testing.

3.Require enhanced disclosure to consumers regarding
the consequences of making only minimum required payments in the repayment of credit card debt, and for other purposes.

4.Provide a homestead floor for the elderly.

5. Protect servicemembers and veterans
from means testing in bankruptcy, to disallow certain claims by lenders
charging usurious interest rates to servicemembers, and to allow
servicemembers to exempt property based on the law of the State of their
premilitary residence.

And I believe it does not put any cap on how high credit cards interest rates can go. Not sure of that one.

... the amendment to cap credit card interest rates was voted down, yesterday, I believe.

Bad bill, all around.

they simply vote on them.

Do you think they read the damn think or something.
They were told to vote on it by the leadership and they were good little soldiers and did what they were told.

what they're trying to push through now.
The tactic seems to be to try and pass all the worst ideas all at the same time, thinking perhaps, that we can't possible check ALL of them.... and if even one gets through they will have paid off enough rich contributors to keep them in their jobs.

They didn't even read the damn thing??

I don't know about the congressman. He would not care anyway.

No surprise there. The bills are huge, and there's so many of 'em. They get "executive summaries" and read those if they're lucky. Mostly they just vote with the leadership unless they've got some personal stake in it, or a bug up their ass put there by some constituent or lobbyist.

Just for fun, try reading this and see how far you get before you reach for the Aspirin: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c109:./temp/~c109KsXYza

After all, after they cash those big contribution checks from the credit card companies, what's to read?

Federal courts have interpreted 11 USC 707(b) to be a means test. There already is one.

I suppose your Congressman told you that he has already been bought and paid-for by MBNA. I used to practice bankruptcy law. I represented debtors only because I hated creditors and there attorneys. These people are parasites on society and I'd shoot them all if I could. The one safety check was the limited protections offered by Title 11. Now, our shit-head Congress has sold the Federal judiciary to the credit "industry." (Remeber when industries actually made things?)

:thumbsdown: :grr: :nuke: :grr: :nuke: :grr:

debate on the floor if they can't take the time to read the bills. Keeerist. Is the modus operandi to just write a few canned speeches for the leadership to suck up the oxygen with during floor debates.

These guys are loathsome.

Yes..I call mine...Mary Bono-bonehead about Social Security..
Why bother..You get a form letter back...Campaign contributions are all they listen to....What I suggest to fight such as the bankruptacy bill or Social Security privitatization... Don't call them...Get a little more personal..
I suggest go to their town hall meetings ask questions..Try to embarass them...But, they know that ...Few have town hall meetings...Bono has no plans to connect with her consitutents over such topics...maybe many of us could invade their offices at the same time...? what tactics might work on these pre-programed robots..
All you have to do is find their talking point papers,ask the right questions and they might blow a fuse..But getting access is the question...

this comes out when recent studies show about 1.5 million Americans go bankrupt over medical expenses each year when they become uninsured...Ever noticed your hospital accepts credit cards as payment...Better raise your upper spending limit..
That on top of the HHS Secreatary letting it be known that one possible solution to lack of insurance is suggesting corportaions only need purchase catastropic insurance for employees and we have to insure ourselves for additional medical needs..or start your own private medical insurance savings accounts..
think putting pennies is a piggy bank will ever pay for your MRI or the cost of pharmeuticals..if not , to the poor house with you..as outlined under the new bankruptacy bill...

Just checking.

Specter's office was nice, well they were polite anyway. I brought up four or five of the worst provisions in this bill and that the loopholes were not so much of a concern as the means testing which is nothing more than a presumption of guilt on the debtor.

Santorum's office just wanted my name and address, wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise.

This is my latest post on the subject -- has a sample LTTE for people to use to send to their local papers, etc.:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1638294

This horrendous bill is getting no coverage in the media -- my local paper hasn't had artciles nor have I seen anything on TV. The %$@#& media!!!