Met with my US House Representative today

[Flatlandcoug]

I was invited to a meet and greet with the US House Representative for my area today. It's always kind of interesting to get the perspective directly rather than through a media filter (right or left). Some takeaways:

1. He thinks that Trump is going too far with the tariffs but it's obvious that he isn't willing to rock the boat.
2. He thinks that they can cut Medicaid spending by eliminating waste and abuse in the system without kicking people that need the program to the curb.
3. He supports legal immigration but said that the system right now allows too many indirect family members to tag along and take spots that other legal immigrants would like to have. He did go off on a tangent about Biden's open border.
4. He claimed that the TCJA actually yielded a net positive in tax revenue in recent years even though it was originally estimated to cost $2.2 trillion over the 10 year period. I read an article before I typed this that said that any positive effects are going to be wiped out by rising costs in the next 10 years.
5. One of the folks in the meeting put him on the spot about lumber tariffs. On one hand, I appreciated that he didn't kneejerk push back on the question. On the other, it's not great that he said he would have to do some research on what the exact tariff discussions were. The association hosting the meeting is very sensitive to lumber pricing and he should have had that accounted for in his preparations.

Overall, my takeaway was that he is listening more to what people are saying than I expected and he didn't posture for us. I will say that it's obvious that he knows his place and he isn't going to draw unnecessary attention to himself fighting battles that he knows that he won't win.

 

[UberCougars]

✅ sure.

 

[Coug90]

✅ sure.

Flat was CatTurd in attendance to verify this exchange? If not, this is all fake news….

 

[Loyal Coug1]

I was invited to a meet and greet with the US House Representative for my area today. It's always kind of interesting to get the perspective directly rather than through a media filter (right or left). Some takeaways:

1. He thinks that Trump is going too far with the tariffs but it's obvious that he isn't willing to rock the boat.
2. He thinks that they can cut Medicaid spending by eliminating waste and abuse in the system without kicking people that need the program to the curb.
3. He supports legal immigration but said that the system right now allows too many indirect family members to tag along and take spots that other legal immigrants would like to have. He did go off on a tangent about Biden's open border.
4. He claimed that the TCJA actually yielded a net positive in tax revenue in recent years even though it was originally estimated to cost $2.2 trillion over the 10 year period. I read an article before I typed this that said that any positive effects are going to be wiped out by rising costs in the next 10 years.
5. One of the folks in the meeting put him on the spot about lumber tariffs. On one hand, I appreciated that he didn't kneejerk push back on the question. On the other, it's not great that he said he would have to do some research on what the exact tariff discussions were. The association hosting the meeting is very sensitive to lumber pricing and he should have had that accounted for in his preparations.

Overall, my takeaway was that he is listening more to what people are saying than I expected and he didn't posture for us. I will say that it's obvious that he knows his place and he isn't going to draw unnecessary attention to himself fighting battles that he knows that he won't win.

Hmmm. Couple of thoughts. First, good on him for actually facing his constituents. I assume that no one got tased and hauled out like at MTG's town hall. Second, he sounds like a spineless chickenshit (surprise!). Congress is supposed to be in charge of tariffs. Do your F-ing job. Third, Timber? What timber? There is no timber in Kansas, is there? And don't you still build you houses with sod?

Oh, and TCJA stands for Trump's previous millionaire-benefitting tax cuts, correct?

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Hmmm. Couple of thoughts. First, good on him for actually facing his constituents. I assume that no one got tased and hauled out like at MTG's town hall. Second, he sounds like a spineless chickenshit (surprise!). Congress is supposed to be in charge of tariffs. Do your F-ing job. Third, Timber? What timber? There is no timber in Kansas, is there? And don't you still build you houses with sod?

Oh, and TCJA stands for Trump's previous millionaire-benefitting tax cuts, correct?

The issue on timber is the tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. It's jumping from 14% to 34% next month.

You joke about sod houses. A few years ago, my brother-in-law bought 40 acres to expand his farm empire that had an old farmhouse on it. The walls were insulated with sod. Of course, the house was well over 100 years old and it was so unique that the owners had put in glass on one of the walls so that you could see the sod. Given that the house hadn't been lived in for a couple decades, it was falling down, so being a good steward of the environment, my brother-in-law dug a big hole, pushed the house into it, burned it and covered it up with dirt. Another sod house lost to the ages.

And yes...TCJA are the tax cuts that didn't end up being cuts for me.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

The issue on timber is the tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. It's jumping from 14% to 34% next month.

You joke about sod houses. A few years ago, my brother-in-law bought 40 acres to expand his farm empire that had an old farmhouse on it. The walls were insulated with sod. Of course, the house was well over 100 years old and it was so unique that the owners had put in glass on one of the walls so that you could see the sod. Given that the house hadn't been lived in for a couple decades, it was falling down, so being a good steward of the environment, my brother-in-law dug a big hole, pushed the house into it, burned it and covered it up with dirt. Another sod house lost to the ages.

And yes...TCJA are the tax cuts that didn't end up being cuts for me.

Got it. Guess I've watched too much Little House on the Prairie

Regarding softwood - there is plenty of that on WW.