LoBiondo Can Do Better

On May 19, The Press ran a full-page ad paid for by the Alaska Coalition thanking U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, for voting against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While I agree that LoBiondo did a good thing by voting against the bill, it would have been more courageous had his vote been the deciding vote to kill the bill.

Instead, it passed the House by a margin of 249 to 132. His vote one way or the other mattered little. It did, however, get him some good PR in southern New Jersey.

Looking at the rest of LoBiondo’s record on a myriad of fiscal and religious/moral issues, he is not looking after people’s interests very well. He did not do much for average Americans with his earlier votes supporting tax breaks for the wealthy and subsidies for big business, nor with more recent votes to interfere in the Schiavo case and to help banks and credit-card companies take advantage of people with catastrophic debt.

Let’s also remember his vote for the $500 billion giveaway to the drug and insurance companies for a Medicare drug benefit that forbids the reimportation of drugs and forbids the federal government from using its power to buy in bulk discounts.

As Thomas Hart Benton noted: “There are but two parties. There never have been but two parties, founded in the radical question, whether people or property shall govern?’’ While LoBiondo’s single vote on ANWR came down on the side of the former, it is clear that more often he is on the side of property (and wealth) and against the people.

The interests of middle-class conservatives and moderates might be better served by a representative who does not vote with the extreme right-wing agenda of the Bush administration more than 80 percent of the time.

LARRY ANGEL

Mullica Township

Letter published in Atlantic City Press, June 2, 2005

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/columns/060305LETTSAT2J4.cfm