To the Hon. Mr. Phil Gramm,
Economic Adviser to John McCain,
Candidate for President of the United States


Dear Mr. Gramm,

I am one of those people, I guess, you characterize as a “whiner” with mental problems about the idea of an economy that’s bankrupt and a government that’s indifferent to working people and those without power.

I am one of those “whiners” you talk about who whined way back when we were told that we were going to become a white collar nation and business got the the green light to move their businesses off shore.

I saw that we were being set up for an exodus and the substitution of American workers by illegal immigrants and green card holders which the Republican government never adequately addressed.

And I whined when those special “white collar” jobs started going to holders of special Green cards or , instead wound up being shipped to Bangladesh or India or China.…

And I “whined” when Bush assumed the powers of Fast Track which allowed him to give away our nuclear secrets in exchange for fruit from India.

I “whined” when the colleges we support with our tax dollars allowed their research to flow to foreign countries without penalty so that foreign countries could out-compete us globally with the products of our own invention.


I whined, too, when they asked me to train my replacement, a Green card holder from India; my boss claiming that I was “over qualified. ” which was republican code for a democrat making too much money.

I whined when the government never set up a realistic energy policy for the people. And I was outraged that a cabal of energy profiteers was running our country. I whined some more.

I whined, when we the greatest nation earth, could not help our less fortunate brothers and sisters in New Orleans because of an act of Nature; yet managed to turn the aid over to developers to build new gambling casinos and expensive homes..

I whined, too, when they cut back my children’s scholarship while this selfish, blind-sided government went ahead with a Star War’s program that never worked and never would and robbed our children of a misspent 240 billion dollars. I didn’t hear any one on the republican side that that was stupid or unfair. No, isn’t it nice when everything’s so one-sided, Mr. Gramm..

I whined when the credit card companies, acting collusively, raised my interest rates and the mortgage companies increased my payments because they could get away with it with a government that has at least in the last eight years always settled on business’s side.

And by the way, I understand that you had something to do with that and profited nicely from others’ pain so I can understand why you call the rest of us in the real world “whiners.”

I also “whined” when I was on the receiving end of the “doughnut” in the pharmaceutical plan for most Americans that the lobbyists worked out with Congress and that I cannot afford to pay; I whined, too, with the increases in my medical expenses that leave me hobbled with inadequate money to cover my old age or the resources to protect my wife.

And I whined about a lot of other things that your candidate seems unwilling and too disconnected to care about. Like the absence of positive measures to deal with Global warming and air and water pollution that comes from the burning of fossil fuels that endangers our health and our futures. Your boss claims that he is right on economics and what’s good for us, but I whine when I view his record of second guessing and non-accomplishment!

And I whine because our government has dropped its mandate to inspect the foods we eat….the toys we import and the feed we give to our pets. It should be no surprise that people are being poisoned, animals have died and many of us have become sick because our government no longer does the job it was entrusted to do….

And I whine because we have sold out to foreign interests like Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and India….

And because our exports to China, mostly scrap and agricultural products are dwarfed by imports that are in imbalance to the tune of over 60 billion dollars a month….

I whine because our government lies to us…..

And ignores the Constitution while moving forward with programs that go from eavesdropping illegally to torture of innocent people that we won’t even acknowledge but that the rest of the world knows about and condemns us for….

I whine about the fact that my kids will not know the benefits we had known….

That they will have to struggle to put food on the table, pay their mortgage and pay for their gasoline because of “dumbed down” selfish policies that emanate from your government, Mr. Gramm, the kind of government you made possible when you were in the House and it was then okay to rubber stamp corruption, illegal fund raising, and adding “add-ons” to bills to pay back your friends and donors.

Yeah, I’m angry that as a tax payer, I am the one who helped underwrite a War that was unnecessary and resulted in the deaths of many thousands, and others not reported, and the virtual end of the careers for thousands more….I think there is no greater sin!

I’m angry about all of that. Angrier than you’ll ever know.

And I whine about the fact that my representatives don’t represent me any longer and I whine because I see the America that my family has fought for going down the tubes precisely because of selfish, heartless, greedy creatures like yourself. And, frankly, Mr. Gramm, I don’t give a damn what you think!.

Les Aaron