I found it appropriate to call the Washington, D.C. offices of Senators Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., to see how they presented themselves regarding the Buffett Rule, which did not pass in the Senate as it lacked the 60 votes to do so. I called the Murray office first and asked the person on the line to explain the Buffett Rule. The young lady said it was to make millionaires pay a larger portion of their earned income in taxes and to be more fair. I next called the Cantwell office and was told that the Buffett Rule was to force rich people to pay as much income tax as poor people.
My only surprise in the matter was not having one of them tell me that the Buffett Rule involved drinking margaritas on a beach in the Florida Keys. I’m pretty sure that answer was not given because neither of the young ladies, speaking on behalf of long-standing senators, had any idea who Buffett is … Warren or Jimmy. The fault here does not lie with those answering the phone, rather with our senators who hold constituents in such disdain that they care not what we know, what we believe and what we expect of them as elected representatives.
Jock Demme
Vancouver
