Campaign for Americas Future –The Broken Contract with America

In the wake of the disastrous effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Americans have a clearer understanding of the radical right’s dangerous agenda and misplaced priorities. From poverty reduction to disaster preparedness to disaster recovery, the Republican leadership has worked systemically on behalf of the privileged at the expense of the people. And, the radical right’s deliberate neglect and misplaced priorities do not begin or end with the current Administration.

Eleven years ago today, Congressional Republicans gathered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in one of the most disingenuous political acts in recent memory. They signed the so-called “Contract with America” — pledging to “restore accountability to Congress” and “to end its cycle of scandal and disgrace.” This act swept them into power, and knocked the American people out of the process. Instead of reforming government, in the eleven years since they signed the Contract, the Republican “revolutionaries” have created a racket — a lobbyist feeding frenzy that’s showered billions on corporations and left the American people in their wake.

A prescription drug bill that lined the pockets of pharmaceutical companies, but failed to control sky-rocketing prescription drug prices, and a related bill that prohibited imports of lower-priced drugs from Canada and other developed countries;

A bankruptcy bill that punished the victims of financial catastrophe by allowing credit card companies to collect from them even after they were driven into bankruptcy from the loss of a job or a medical tragedy;

An energy bill that gave away billions in subsidies to oil and gas companies already celebrating record profits while leaving Americans more dependent on foreign oil, failing to address rising gas prices, exacerbating global warming, and surrendering American leadership in the green markets of the future.

Together, on the eleventh anniversary of the Contract with America, we can speak truth to power and let America know that the so-called Republican revolutionaries who promised reform have sold our government out to corporate interests. Please, write a letter to the editor to call out the failure of the “Contract with America”, and the disingenuous promise of Contract-signers to restore accountability to the American people.

http://www.ourfuture.org/broken_contract.cfm

Just enter your zip code and their letter to the editor tool will help you compose your message and get it to your local media.