By T.J. Ray

Dear Sen. Pelosi,

Forgive me for responding to your letter and survey. As I’m certain that you and your cohorts carefully peruse American newspapers, you will see my response. I do not expect a thank you for saving the Democratic Party the cost of return postage on the survey itself. To ensure that my answering is legitimate, my Survey Verification Number was A3030248NC414.

You repeatedly say the Republicans are doing everything wrong, including proposing tax breaks that will harm the middle class. My question is whether the cuts they propose are more harmful than your party’s going along with all the entitlements granted to illegal immigrants. That middle class you so stridently claim you are trying to protect doesn’t qualify for those entitlements.

You ask how America’s educational system ranks compared to those of other industrialized nations. In almost direct proportion to the takeover of public education by government agencies, the ranking is going down at a rapid rate.

Your survey asks about several aspects of health care. Let me take one aspect of that issue: adequate treatment of military personnel during and after their enlistment. It should embarrass you and the rest of Congress — Democratic and Republican — that a discharged veteran with injuries or illnesses caused by military service must practically beg for treatment from the same government quite willing to put him in harm’s way.

Part XI of the survey is fascinating: Restoring Congressional Checks and Balances. The question you ask is that: How satisfied are you by the tone and productivity of the relationship between Congress and the White House with Republicans holding the majorities in the House and the Senate? My answer (which would be exactly the same thing if the Democrats were in that position) is the relationship between Congress and the White House smells like dog dung.

I’m glad to learn that your party has an interest in economic recovery. You ask about my outlook for the U.S. economy in the next 12 months. My answer isn’t among the choices you give me to pick from. My bet is it will crash completely. You then ask which party I trust to hold Wall Street accountable and provide economic relief to Main Street? My answer is that none of the clowns on Pennsylvania Avenue have the heart or intelligence to do that.

One last note if I may. You say “I’m counting on the feedback of leading Democrats like you.” Mrs. Pelosi, despite the fact that I’m on your mailing list, I am not a Democrat or a Republican. I’m just a simple American citizen who fears his country is on the brink of disaster and is led by fools who haven’t a prayer in averting that end.

Sincerely,

T. J. Ray

Oxford, Mississippi

TJ Ray, a retired professor of English at the University of Mississippi, can be reached at tjmaryjo@bellsouth.net.