I'm no longer going to donate to any political causes

(edited by admin to fix formatting issue on homepage)

And I am going to send them this message when they request money.

__________________

Thank you for letting me know. I am currently one of your poorer members, seeing as I am living, well surviving, actually, on Disability of $xxxx a month. That's it, folks. I bring no other income in, and out of this, I pay all my bills, food, take care of my animals, and well, there isn't a whole lot left.

When I have a couple of dollars left (in one of those rare times when I don't buy as much food as I should be), I donate to charities. Those charities are REALLY in need of my money, not corporatists who really aren't representing ME when they go looking to signing bills and laws.

Let's see, now....there was absolutely NO, and I mean NO cost-of-living increase for me this year. Did congress vote for a wage increase for themselves? I don't know. Did congress send more doctors to Iraq, or Afghanistan, or someplace OTHER than the USA? Did they accept gifts from corporations? Did they get wined and dined by lobbyists, or PACs? Did they have promises to special "friends?" And oh, we must not forget kowtowing to the Saudis and other middle-eastern countries for the best price on oil, keeping the Saudis rich and turning out even more terrorists into the world. Did congress even consider what those of us who haven't got money to pay for "influence" were going to be doing, come winter again, to keep warm? I have some pretty serious illnesses, and being cold is essentially the same as allowing me to suffer a very slow, agonizing death. Did those who want to cut Medicare even consider that part of the equation, that we are not in another country, that we are here, in allegedly the "richest" country in the world, dying and suffering every single day?

Yours is the voice of solicitation, and yet, until I am certain that as a citizen of this country I am getting the attention of my own, elected officials, I will no longer be contributing to any political causes.

You have my permission to distribute my reply to anyone you believe might have need of an explanation for just the one of me and the reasons I don't have any money to put into the coffers of our alleged "representatives." Children and animals are far more in need of the couple of dollars I have, and if it means not eating a meal, so be it, because I can live without a meal, while these innocents cannot.

I find that every day I live and see yet another injustice, I know that politicians aren't there for me, and likely never have been. Mere survival. Do you even know what exactly I and so many others go through every day of our lives? Well, I consider it a luxury to have internet access. Considering how bad my legs are right now, my internet connection serves as my primary outlet to talk with people, since I can't walk very much anymore. I pay for a friend's dinner a couple of times a month because he drags me out to shop, and to simply get out of the house. We don't go anywhere fancy, but considering all else, it's a way to be out with someone other than my computer. Clothes? I live in tee-shirts and jeans, so I don't have much else around, and when my insulin bulks me up every now and then, I am always glad I haven't thrown out the different sizes.

I spend a fair amount of time going to the Dollar Store, because it's about all I can really afford. If I really need something during a month, I cut down on fresh produce in order to compensate. Not the best solution, but hey--it's what is required. I don't see too many other solutions, unless I thought about selling plasma, and I can't do that because of health problems.

I'm just one of many. Most others, though, don't always have a means to get information very readily, and well, Fox News becomes their sole source of news and information, and we all know how bad that is for a person's continued health and well-being. But repugs know how to talk with angry people, and people believe that in some small way that the far right understands them more. That's why Palin and all those other whores on the right strike a chord with ordinary people. People want someone that takes their side in an argument, and guess what? The left isn't that concerned about us. We get you all into office, come hell or hot water, and you betray us. It's gotten to a point where I don't even bother writing any essays anymore, because no one is listening to us.

President Obama offered a hope for change, and yet it hasn't materialized. I do understand why to some extent, but when it comes down to business, those of us on the "wrong side of the tracks" are just given more empty promises.

Will it end? Sure will--the day when the majority of the people in the USA feel that the Left is as contemptible as the right, and will stop looking for answers from them. That will be a day I probably won't live to see, at least that's my hope--I know all I can do is go on, one day at a time, and put on the blinders to all the corruption, the broken promises, the lack of concern for the welfare of ALL the US citizens, and the fact that all members of congress look to cover their own asses before they even think of the rest of us.

If this means I can no longer be on the mailing list, fine. Thankfully, email doesn't litter the world, and I have enough coming into my cyber mailbox not to care about one more group, whose main contribution into my life is asking for money--money that I don't have.

_____________________

let me know what you think.

Not only in dollars but also in spirit.

K&R

by their big Corp Daddy Warbucks. The rest of us are on our own. They'll be ok. Us, not so much.

But I often wondered why, with all those budgets every committee has to spend on whatever work they actually do they need so much more money, above and beyond their donors' very generous contributions, that they need to spend our tax dollars flooding our mail boxes with fund raising for every little fucking thing they do. Things they are supposedly paid to do with our tax dollars.

Why are they so poor when it comes to doing legislation that benefits us?

Charities like Doctors Without Borders get far more done with far less. If I have spare money that's where it goes.

Recommended.

solicitation from hack democrats...

I have no objections. I'd love to hear, though, if it gets any response.

another cushy job.

Too many of our politicans have lost touch with reality of the People who are struggling. They're discussing about cutting Social Security yet give billions of dollars to finance useless wars, the Wall Strees, Banks whose CEOs have turned around to give themselves bonus money and screw us over again and again, allow them to raise credit card interests, they take money from insurance companies so they vote against the public option/single payer for all, cut Medicare, they've sent jobs overseas. Too many to list... I won't donate to those democats neither. I can barely get by myself.

asking for $$ and telling me just how the repugs are hurting us. If I knew I would get a response from her, I would like to ask her if we lost control in Washington DC already. Last time I checked we are the majority.

By the time the next election rolls around I guarantee you that this Progressive will register as an Independent--at least until I see a Democratic Party with a set! :wtf: :eyes:

I'd add that it isn't entirely a matter of having/not having the money to donate - no matter how much I have to donate, political groups are getting none of it; charities for children and animals are my preference also. And - though many here don't agree - I give money to people on street corners and parking lots; I may occasionally get scammed, but at least I know there aren't any millionaires there asking for money.

"Did congress vote for a wage increase for themselves? I don't know."

The answer is no, so it doesn't add to your argument.

to food banks, second harvest, meals on wheels and animal shelters. with the economy the way it is these charities need the money.

you know what they tell you about writing a complaint letter? the very first thing?

NEVER SAY YOU WILL NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THAT COMPANY AGAIN, for if you say that, why then should they give one happy damn abt your complaint? they don't need to please someone who is not a customer

there have been times when my donation for the month has been from somehow gathering up coins, going to the bank where i'm allowed to count them for free, and whatever it is, be it $10 or $100, that's the donation

however, if i want change from WHOEVER or WHATEVER i'm donating to, i don't write them a long letter saying, hey, i'm busto, i got no money, but here's my gripe and i'll waste your time bending your ear about it anyway...

no, i'll send a letter pointing out how often or how recently i've donated, in accordance with my admittedly modest means, and anything i might else have done to get the word out, such as getting two friends to donate, and then i'll mention my thought about what needs to be changed

"politicians aren't there for me" is not a specific or useful gripe, i don't say, "senator landrieu, you weren't there for me," i name an issue i'm concerned abt and say, "i'd like to see this handled differently," and, yah, sometimes the answer is no, everything isn't going to go my way, but sometimes i do get a helpful response (most often when it's a small specific request that they can handle easily to help me, such as i'm getting hassled by a collection agency that has the wrong name)

i may not feel comfortable w. politicians, as a lower income person, but to say they've NEVER helped me or been there for me is not true...in my case anyway

my post is too long, of course, but when writing a letter to a busy person, unlike an internet post, i write the letter, then i EDIT it v. severely

it must be SHORT, it must be SPECIFIC, and it must suggest an ACTION they can choose to take to help me

your letter misses on all counts, it's the kind of thing i'd post here at DU or in my personal blog

also if progressives refuse to fund progressive political causes, whilst the evil-doers are happy to tithe to the most evil of woman-hating, freedom-hating religions, then it's no wonder that our society as a whole becomes ever more regressive...there's money in being glenn beck, i don't think there's much money in being skinner

even when I have given money to a candidate that I believe in, I am not sure I like what they do with it.
I think voting is the most important thing I can do for them, all the rest, the TV ads, the robocalls, I don't want to be a part of it...

And more than anything else, it makes me glad I share this Earth with people like you.

I dragged my feet actually un-registering myself as a republican a while after I actually stopped voting that way because it was great getting all these phone calls from local GOP candidates ( aides ) asking for my support or opinion: It gave me a direct forum to read them the riot act on what I thought of the party.

And if it were not for two other pensions and money I give her she would be completley hosed. :( As it is, things are incredibly tough and she too is shopping at food outlets and dollar stores when she can.

Your letter is great -- I would just tighten it up for length. Hell. I might even get really short and sweet with something like this:


"I live on SS, haven't had a raise in two years, have to shop at dollar stores, and am still barely making it.

I'll give you money the minute you start acting like you care about people like me.

Until then, piss off."

But that's just me. :evilgrin:

it is over - I have to wait for medicare and that is no prize either - nope they take and do not give - it is over - the corporation buy your soul and your vote in congress - tought - you fight crappy wars and spend so much on military crap and boondoogles for yourself - it is over