Utah’s lone Democratic Congressman, Jim Matheson, sent me an email tonight, asking for my opinion (via  radio-button survey) on the Financial Crisis. In case you aren’t on his “advisor list”, here are the questions he asked, along with my responses. My answers are the ones shown as bold.

Dear Misty,

Most economists accept that the nation’s financial crisis demands intervention by the government.  But I have concerns about the proposal to put $700 billion to $1 trillion in taxpayer money on the line.

Are we acting too quickly, without gathering enough information? Will the proposal work? What benefit will taxpayers receive, if the financial system is stabilized?  Are we giving too much power to one government agency?

I would like to hear from you.  Please take a moment to respond to the following brief survey.

Sincerely,

U.S. Representative
2nd District of Utah

Do you support the use of taxpayer money to buy up the bad debt on the books of troubled investment banks?

yes
no
don’t know enough about it

How concerned are you about financial executives receiving excessive compensation even as their companies go bankrupt?

Not too concerned
Quite concerned
Strongly opposed to it

Should homeowners facing foreclosure be allowed to restructure their mortgages to afford the payments and stay in their homes?

Yes
No
Don’t know

If the bailout plan is approved, should an independent oversight board be appointed to keep tabs on the program?

yes
no

Who do you blame most for the current crisis?

Banks
Wall Street executives
Homebuyers
Mortgage lenders
Homebuilders
Realtors
A combination of the above
the government

How worried are you about the safety of your savings accounts and mutual funds?

Not worried
somewhat worried
very worried

I found the phrasing of the questions quite interesting, and much of it quite leading. Especially the question about who I blame most. Why wasn’t this question a checkbox? I can’t blame the government as much as Wall Street, and if I want to blame both Wall Street execs and Banks, I have to blame the home builders, too? That doesn’t make much sense.

If you want to give Matheson your thoughts, you’ll have to use his web site. Unfortunately, I don’t think the survey is “open”, but you can use a feedback form to pass your answers on. Or give them a call at (202) 225-3011.

Feel free to leave a comment telling if you’d answer differently than me, and why.

URGENT: Support the Climate Security Act!

Target: US Senate
Sponsored by: Environmental Defense Fund

UPDATE (June 5, 2008): The Senate has scheduled a “cloture” vote to end the filibuster on the Climate Security Act tomorrow morning. It could come as early as tonight.
———–
The Senate is set to vote on the Climate Security Act in early June.

It is crucial that the bill gets passed this year. Each year we wait means extra effort in reducing emissions to avoid catastrophic global warming.

There are five simple but extremely important reasons why the Senate must act now:

• Every year we wait equals extra effort.
• The science is unforgiving.
• The political opportunity is ripe.
• Someone is going to win the global race to reinvent energy. It should be us.
• This is an opportunity for the 110th Congress to leave its legacy.

We have no time to lose. Help keep up the pressure so the Senate doesn’t miss this historic opportunity!

Dear Senator,

I strongly urge you to put an end to the Senate filibuster on the landmark Climate Security Act by voting Yes on cloture.

This is the most important climate vote in the Senate in three years. No time has been more critical for the environment and our future generations.

Here’s why you should vote Yes on cloture and the Climate Security Act:

1. Every year we wait equals extra effort. If we delay this bill by just two years, we will have to make twice the annual cuts in carbon emissions to hit the same cumulative reductions by 2020.

2. The science is unforgiving. As the Earth warms, we approach a “tipping point,” after which large destructive climate changes become inevitable.

3. The political opportunity is ripe. 78% of Americans want Congress to act on global warming. We need to take advantage of the tremendous momentum that exists today.

4. Someone is going to win the global race to reinvent energy. It should be us. Renewable energy promises to become one of the world’s most profitable industries. But advances in renewable energy technologies will not be fully realized without a national cap on global warming pollution. The sooner we act, the sooner these new industries will start to flourish.

5. What legacy will the 110th Congress leave? When future generations look back at this moment, they will either praise the Senate for starting us down the path to solving the global warming crisis, or blame the Senate for squandering this opportunity.

Thank you for your leadership.

Sincerely,
[Your name here]

Maybe Jim Matheson will get the hint.