Blumenauer response re: Oregon National Guard equipment problmes

Several weeks ago I wrote a letter to Earl Blumenauer regarding the deplorable equipment conditions of the soldiers in Iraq from the Oregon National Guard. This was in response to the 60 minutes story and a couple of articles in the Oregonian. Here is his response. I'm thinking this doesn't tell me anything concrete. It's nice to be outraged but what is he *doing* about it?

I'm new to this writing letters to congressman business. Should I respond? Is there something else I can do?

December 22, 2004

Dear Mrs. XXXXXXX:

Thank you for sharing with me your unique concerns for our armed forces in Iraq. Your letter joins a flood of correspondence that I have received that, frankly, I have found exceedingly frustrating; some of the stories are heartbreaking. One of the reasons I opposed the President's policy was the lack of a program for securing the peace. It is not fair that troops in the theater have to rely on care packages from home, do not have adequate equipment, and in some cases, reservists are basically being made part of the full-time military service.

I have fought for adequate spending and adequate planning. It is
frustrating that the military and economic advisors who told the truth have been dismissed, and the people who mismanaged and exaggerated are still in place. My colleague Jack Murtha from Pennsylvania, a decorated marine veteran of Vietnam, is acknowledged as the strongest voice for National Defense in Congress. His outrage at the treatment of our troops precludes his call for removal of people at the top who have so mismanaged the situation; I could not agree more.

It is an outrage that $150 billion have already been spent and we are
still not able to meet the basic needs of our service people in the
field. It is unconscionable and I will do everything in my power to change it. I assure you there are other members in Congress who feel similarly, and increasingly I am hearing from my Republican friends as well. The prospects for change are brighter now than they have ever been.

I hope you will continue to share with me and my office specific items that you think are useful for us to know. We want to put an Oregon face on this and be able to press the case as aggressively as possible. Our military troops have done a superb job; it's not their fault that the situation has been so mismanaged. They deserve better and I will do everything in my power to see that they get it.

Sincerely,

Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress

I call my Conman on a regular basis. It is important that you keep letting him know your concerns.