Further, the Congress has allowed the drug barons — laughingly called pharmaceutical companies — to control the Medicare program. Their obscene profits are fattening the pockets of their stockholders while senior citizens must choose between food and drugs in order to pay for prescriptions we “dare not stop until the doctor tells us we may.� Are we drug addicts?

How can they do this? Well those nice health maintenance organizations are getting paid a monthly fee for every one of us who signs up with them. Then, they pay the part of the drug costs and doctor's fees we do not see out of the Medicare fund. Our co-pay is painless because we do not pay the real charges directly and fail to react to the total bill. That money comes out of the Medicare fund, which is also going bankrupt.

My daily mail includes dozens of appeals for money to influence the votes of our elected thieves who waste their time infighting for control of Congress. They neglect our borders, spend time insulting each other, pontificate and posture for pointless hours in front of the news media and have made the United States the laughingstock of the world. Their votes are for sale to the lobbyist who bribes them the most.

Petty thieves get thrown in jail. These are not petty thieves, my friends. They are stealing our money by the billions, and getting away with it. Where are our statesmen?

Millions have given up voting because we believe we cannot put a stop to it. If you and I care about our country, we'd better get back to the voting booths and register our displeasure.

- Robert Butz, Port Hueneme