To the Editor:

In response to the attempt by our elected officials to put a “happy face” on the vote on the bailout bill, the claim that it is “hailed as a big improvement over the original proposal from the Bush administration” leaves me perplexed! This new and improved bill contains $150 billion of pure pork added on to the original $700 billion! Smearing more “lipstick on a pig” does not make it better.

The pork in the bill was pure bribery to pressure congressmen into voting for this monstrous welfare for the big bankers on Wall Street. Every bill they had submitted to Congress earlier that was voted down was given a chance to be included in this obscene package. The bill includes: a part which gives the IRS immunity from federal laws, provisions for the film and motion picture industry, hidden Carbon Tax Provisions (brought to you by global warming proponents) among a few examples.

Sen. Ron Wyden and Reps. Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer resisted the bribery and voted NO on the Bailout. I applaud them.

Yes, the county timber payments bill is included in the pork. The county timber payments have proven to be like applying a small Band-Aid to a gaping wound. We have had the county timber payments for a number of years and our communities are still slowly dying, lumber mills and other businesses are shutting down and the schools are struggling to maintain enough enrollment to remain open.

Smith’s and Walden’s votes for the bailout were replacing the small Band-Aid over the gaping wound and stabbing us in the back to cause another gaping wound! Our small communities and families in America cannot survive a blow like this.

Despite extreme outrage by U.S. citizens, Sens. Gordon Smith, Barack Obama, John McCain, Congressmen Greg Walden, Darlene Hooley, and David Wu voted for the bailout. Excuses were given that “the constituents don’t understand.” We do, indeed understand! We are faced with an extreme economic crisis, (and a possible depression) brought about by the very people that requested this staggering amount of money to “fix” the crisis! Congress has given the henhouse keys to the foxes.

The most important principle to remember is that there are individuals who always benefit in an economic downturn. We are talking about a shift of wealth. Our current economic crisis is the direct result of the debt-based monetary policy of the private, for profit, Federal Reserve Bank. Congress must do away with the Fed and go back to a constitutional monetary policy. However, this vote on the bailout doesn’t give me any confidence that they have the intestinal fortitude to buck the Wall Street Gang and take back control.

The government is acquiring ownership in banks, insurance companies and who knows what else? This is fascism, pure and simple. The Economic Emergency and Stabilization Act of 2008 is an outrage and an assault on our country’s financial stability and the Constitution.

Indebting hardworking taxpayers and future generations is wrong!