A dozen West Valley residents paid a visit to the Glendale office of Rep. Trent Franks Monday to ask him to vote in favor of raising the debt ceiling.
“It’s a matter of survival,” said Karen Daley of Surprise. “If we don’t raise the debt ceiling we’re in trouble. We had to come out here to try to do something.”
Shirley McAllister of Sun City led Monday morning’s effort, presenting a petition and explaining to District Chief of Staff Daniel Hay what she and her fellow constituents would like to see prioritized, including the protection of Social Security and Medicare and the end of Bush-era tax cuts.
“We came here to ask if Congressman Franks is willing to do what needs to be done to protect this country,” she said.
McAllister asked Hay if Franks is willing to vote in favor of raising the debt ceiling.
“No, he is not,” Hay said. “Philosophically, he just disagrees with you. I think if you look at the campaign he ran on you’ll see that he’s doing exactly what he said he would do.”
Congress has until Aug. 2 to raise debt ceiling — or federal borrowing limit — or the government will run out of money and possibly default on its debt. House Republicans say they won’t raise the debt limit without equal spending cuts. President Obama and Democrats insist that higher revenues must be included.
Hay promised that Franks would get the message and asked everyone who came provide contact information so they could be informed when Franks schedules his next town hall meeting. Franks’ Glendale office is at 7121 W. Bell Road.
“I can tell you that the congressman is usually the last person to leave,” Hay said. “He always sticks around if any of you would like to speak to him personally.”
Despite what Sun Citian Robert Ferrante described as long odds, he is still holding out hope that Franks will be swayed by their effort.
“There’s always hope,” he said. “I think we can get past any obstacle as long as we have hope.”
Deanna Stropes, also of Sun City, was not so optimistic.
“No, I hold out absolutely no hope that Franks will change his vote,” she said. “I know he won’t. What we need to do, ultimately, is find someone to replace him in office.”
If she felt there was no chance to sway Franks’ opinion, why, then, did Stropes participate in Monday’s effort to do so?
“Because this is a democracy and this is what you are supposed to do,” she said. “You make your voice heard. You participate. I think too many Americans haven’t been paying attention for too long. Until they get up off their couches and start participating, we’re doomed.”
Jeff Dempsey may be reached at 623-876-2531 or jdempsey@yourwestvalley.com.
fez posted at 10:54 am on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
Why do people still trust the media or the government mouth-pieces? The only programs in jeopardy are Social Entitlements! Social Security and Medicare will be paid from the $200 BILLION of monthly revenues to the treasury, along with debt payments and Military/Veteran benefits..... You don't know your facts, yet you get media coverage? Please educate yourselves without trusting the media's lies. Make government live within its income, not by BORROWING $100,000,000,000 EVERY MONTH.................. STUPID
RationalHuman posted at 11:30 am on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
Just more evidence that we need to run this entire corrupt group of criminals out of Congress.
And before someone calls me crazy, this is EXACTLY why our Founding Fathers penned the Second Amendment...go on, read it!
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
If you're still not getting it, here are the reasons for having the Second Amendment (as given in the by-laws of said document)
deterring undemocratic government;
repelling invasion;
suppressing insurrection;
facilitating a natural right of self-defense;
participating in law enforcement;
enabling the people to organize a militia system
Congress had better wake up - the first and third reasons for the Second Amendment apply to them directly.
fez posted at 12:44 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
Dear Shirley, Karen, Robert, and Deanna,
Since you so strongly believe in "Government as the answer", move to Cuba!!! Help us to reduce the deficit...........................
Which Union/Government Agency did you retire from?
cnemo42 posted at 12:57 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
Why you morons vote for a guy like Franks and then wonder why he votes against your interests everytime is beyond me. So live live with it until 2012. Then fire all CONservatives. Buy American. UNIONIZE.
fez posted at 4:40 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
Speaking of morons................. Union Membership voting for Socialist Frauds and then wondering why the USA is losing jobs! Paying a thug to defend your right to perform poorly and produce as little as possible while demanding more pay is good for............ whom? Dip stick...............................
NothingButTheTruth posted at 9:22 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
If we don't raise the debt we're in trouble. If we do raise the debt we're in trouble. Folks, we're in trouble either way and just raising it isn't the answer and wont save us. Right now they tell me that almost half of what we borrow goes to pay the interest on what we borrowed in the past. What happens when we have to pay 100% of what we borrow just to pay the interest on what we borrow? That is of course when the pyramid scheme fails completely.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 9:29 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
RationalHuman
deterring undemocratic government?
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding on what to eat for lunch. I don't believe in it. A better description of democracy would be where you have a lynch mob voting on what to do with the horse thief. A republic is when the sheriff comes along and stops the democratic process by declaring that we are a republic of laws and that the thief deserves a trial and then we hang him. Sometimes I think we have more of a democracy than a republic, but it was never meant to be so.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 9:30 pm on Tue, Jul 19, 2011.
BTY Rational, when are you going to define christian nation for us and using your definition show how the United States isn't and Zimbabwe is a christian nation.
lol we're all real interested in you teaching us about that.
shrinkingviolet posted at 12:53 am on Wed, Jul 20, 2011.
Fefz, these people get media coverage for doing their part in a representative government. Whether you agree with their views or not, it's their right to complain, and yours. What you are saying is tantamount to "I don't like you, so sit down and shut up!" Real mature.
Cerulean posted at 11:39 am on Fri, Jul 22, 2011.
Yea!!!