October 3, 2008

TO: My Elected officials in the State of Arizona

Jon Kyl, US Senator

John McCain, US Senator
Trent Franks, House Representative, 2nd District
Raul Grijalva, House Representative, 7th District
Harry Mitchell, House Representative, 5th District
Rick Renzi, House Representative, 1st District
Gabrielle Giffords, House Representative, 8th District
Jeff Flake, House Representative, 6th District
Ed Pastor, House Representative, 4th District
John Shadegg, House Representative, 3rd District

Dear Sirs and Madam:

I write this letter to you on the day after the final House vote and approval of the Senate amendment of
H.R. 1424 or better known as the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. In case you forgot how
you and your peers voted in the State of Arizona, here’s the vote for your recollection1:

Senator or House Representative Vote for H.R. 1424

Jon Kyl Yea
John McCain Yea
Trent Franks Nay
Raul Grijalva Nay
Harry Mitchell Yea
Rick Renzi Nay
Gabrielle Giffords Yea
Jeff Flake Nay
Ed Pastor No Vote Recorded
John Shadegg Yea

To start, I’ll say that I don’t admire your position to do your best attempt and act on behalf of the over 6
million people residing in Arizona. You are in a position to create laws on the state and federal level that
affect a lot of people and I applaud you for putting yourself in that position.

What I don’t applaud is the blatant disregard for respect of the common working Arizonian. The votes
shown by some Arizona lawmakers in this recent bill emphasizes that to me even more. By all reports, it
appears that indeed the United States could be in a financial crisis. Some of our nation’s largest lenders
and other financial institutions have plundered. Something indeed should be done, and I’m not sure
that H.R. 1424 was the answer. Certainly NOT in the form it was passed at least. The concept of the

1
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
government bailing out industries that have made bad decisions is upsetting to me. The concept of
helping individuals who have made bad decisions is upsetting me. What about those of us who are
responsible? Where is our reward in all of this? There is none, except a weakening dollar as the result
of the government deciding to print more money to solve a problem of bad business/personal decisions
and deception.

I don’t have the right answer of course and know that it is a tough decision to figure out how to save the
economy and wrestle with the thought of bailing out companies, some of which who had CEO payouts
of excess of $40 million in compensation2. I have been struggling with the thought of having the
government increase our deficit almost a trillion dollars to help salvage some hope in this crisis. I would
have hoped that the elected officials of my state would have acted responsibly in this regard and focus
on the matter at hand for the betterment of the country. I find this now not to be true.

I have to ask for those who made an affirmative (Yea) vote for H.R. 1424, Did you actually know what
you were voting for? If not, let me highlight some of the earmarks that were included in this bailout
plan (that I would argue if you polled normal US citizens they would have thought only affected the
financial crisis and market). In an original plan that started out being only 3 pages, allow me to help
highlight portions of the now 451 page bill that some of you voted to pass:

 Section 503: Exemption from excise tax for certain wooden arrows designed for use by
children. This includes specific diameter specifications to receive this benefit.
 Section 317: Seven-year cost recovery period for motorsports racing track facility. This
effectively extends some already ridiculous bill another 2 years retro-actively (how I read it).
 Section 325: Extension and modification of duty suspension on wool products; wool research
fund; wool duty refunds. I honestly don’t know what to say here.
 Section 502: Provisions related to film and television productions. Wow, I didn’t realize that
we had to help Hollywood when their movies are grossing millions.
 Section 305: Extension of 15-year straight-line cost recovery for qualified leasehold
improvements and qualified restaurant improvements; 15-year straight-line cost recovery for
certain improvements to retail space. Wow, good to know Chili’s and Target are accounted for
here.
 Section 316: Railroad track maintenance. Can someone tell me how railroad track maintenance
is related to a financial crisis?
 Section 322: Tax incentives for investment in the District of Columbia. Hmm, what makes DC
so special? Why not rural areas or other states who could use some incentive for business into
their areas?
 Section 504: Income averaging for amounts received in connection with the Exxon Valdez
litigation. How on earth is an energy/waste situation applicable to our current economic
situation. I like the gem though that anyone who receives these settlements “shall be treated as
engaged in a fishing business.” Nice.

2
CEO Pay: These guys made how much? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26971241
The list goes on. Seriously…wool research and wooden arrows?! Can you see how this stuff looks to
mainstream Americans? Ridiculous. Can you please take a moment and tell me how this applies to an
economic stabilization? How about amending it to remove the state gas taxes? That goes into my
pocket and is more palatable to me. Wool research? Doesn’t help me.

I’m appalled at these earmarks that have been approved. I keep hearing more and more about how our
politicians want to change this type of behavior and move away from serving lobbyists and serving the
people. Senator McCain, you are most aggregious in this recent vote. In a televised interview3 you
seem to denounce the earmarkings, yet you approved the bill? Explain yourself. You can’t campaign
and put on one face and behind the scenes act another way. What happened to the 100% absolute
truth Senator McCain? Whatever fence I may have been sitting on with regard to the election…it is no
longer even swaying to your side. I’m also ashamed at Obama voting this approved for the record as
well. But I’m more appalled at Senator McCain’s explanation of denouncing and approving in one
breath.

I fail to see how these additional provisions had anything to do with the reported emergency economic
crisis and how those who voted affirmative for this bill can honestly say this “sweetened” the deal for
them? Honestly, who are you working for? The people or your lobbyists?

To that end in examining exactly what H.R. 1424 was “sweetened” to include and how my Arizona
elected officials voted, I’m ashamed at those who voted affirmative. I applaud Representatives Franks,
Grijalva, Renzi and Flake for your “Nay” votes in this matter. To Senators Kyl and McCain and
Representatives Mitchell, Giffords and Shadegg, thank you for devaluing the dollar. Thank you for
bailing out irresponsible people. Thank you for padding the almost trillion dollar deficit spending for
wool research. I’ll think of your actions every time I put on a sweater.

Sincerely,

Tim Heuer
Registered voter and tax-payer

3
MSNBC: morning Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i0su1roQLI