We Write Our Congressman

It's a huge deal for us to write a hard-copy letter to our congressman -- stamp, envelope, putting it in the mailbox, the whole nine yards. With our previous reps -- Skeen and Pearce -- it was "why bother?" Teague seems to be a man of the people, so we're gonna see if we get our $150 worth.

Dear Rep. Teague,

We would like to express our opposition to HR 875, the “Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009.”

It seems odd that the financial system ends up completey unregulated – and look at the mess we’re now in – whereas now there’s a proposal that will have the effect of driving small food producers out of business. We urge you to oppose this bill.

We are small businesspeople in the ag sector – we are beekeepers, and sell our honey at the local Farmers Market, and independent grocery stores in Las Cruces. We like to think that we – and the other vendors at Farmers Market – represent the best of the American free enterprise system. We work hard, we don’t ask for handouts, and we produce a good product at a fair price. We would appreciate not being driven out of business by agribusiness interests.

By the way, we donated $150 to your campaign. We wanted somebody who would defend the interests of the “little guy.” It looks like you’re doing a good job so far, and we would appreciate your support on HR 875.

Thank you,

Gordon Solberg
Laura Solberg