October 30, 2009
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
District of Columbia 20500
Dear President Obama,
I am deeply concerned and angered by the unconstitutional, illegal, and tyrannical actions taken recently by the administration’s “pay czar”. While I personally am not financially affected by this action, I find myself repeatedly asking the question, “What country am I living in?”
How does this happen in a “free” society? What gives this unelected, unconfirmed man the authoritarian power, to use the full force of the federal government, to order that private companies set their executive pay according to his whim?
Does the Constitution change because the government decides to insanely “bail out” (also unconstitutional) or make loans to private companies? What about this new relationship uniquely gives the government exclusive kneecapping powers.
Using the “bailouts” as justification to eliminate constitutionally protected, individual, and property rights is illogical at best and treasonous at worst. Does the Chinese government, who has loaned our government trillions of dollars, in essence “bailing out “ our reckless, irresponsible spending, now have the right to set the pay of our politicians and citizens? Why not? What is the difference?
The administration’s strategy of stoking the fires of class warfare, to distract from their abuse of power, has resulted in the “populist outrage” against the nation’s CEO’s. The “Special Master of Compensation” admitted that “populist outrage” about CEO pay influenced his decision and therefore, the government’s actions. Does this not place our country in the category of dangerously being governed by “mob rule” rather than by the Founder’s intention of “rule of law”? Where and when does this end? How do you justify this?
Adding to this molestation of freedom is the unbelievable, disturbing, and shocking contention by the president that he didn’t know about the “pay czar’s” actions beforehand. If the president didn’t know, then it even gives more questions to the legitimacy of Mr. Feinberg’s actions. How does an unelected, unconfirmed “czar” walk into private American companies and cut certain targeted citizens’ pay 50% - 90% without the president knowing? Did Mr. Feinberg usurp this unparalleled power without even receiving the president’s authorization or orders? Believing this makes Mr. Feinberg’s actions even more egregious.
President Obama recently said, “We believe in success. But, it does offend our values when executives of big financial firms, firms that are struggling, pay themselves huge bonuses even as they continue to rely on taxpayer assistance to stay afloat.”
President Obama, what offends American values is your Marxist philosophy and draconian government that is 100% “on taxpayer assistance to stay afloat”. It is not free markets or free enterprise or capitalism, true American values that offends Americans. It is not the government’s job to define “success” or determine how much is too much.
It is also not your job, or the government’s, to bail out private companies, rewarding failure and poor decisions, while punishing success by over-taxing those who made good decisions. Your government’s reckless course toward fiscal suicide offends American values.
What qualifies any politician, including you, President Obama, to browbeat American business leaders when you’re spending the country into bankruptcy? Any private business ran like the federal government would have their entire management behind bars.
I agree with the administration and the “pay czar’s” “pay for performance” plan. However, the target is wrong. It is time to put government parasites on a “pay for performance” plan, eliminating all pay to politicians until the budget is balanced.
The federal government must be returned to its constitutionally mandated status of being “limited”. The actions of the “pay czar” are a violation of constitutional limits and an attack against freedom and every principle that this nation was founded upon. Our Founding Fathers did not go to war to bring us a government so intrusive and overreaching that it controls private companies while allowing them the semblance of ownership. That is fascism and the American people won’t stand for it.
I urge you in the strongest terms to reverse and discontinue the unconstitutional acts of the “pay czar” and to eliminate his position immediately and permanently.
Sincerely,
Matthew Burke
17652 NE 119th CT
Redmond, WA 98052