BrianGarst.com

I recently sent the following letter to the New York Times:

To the Editor:

Intelligent people like Thomas Friedman shouldn’t encourage their government to behave recklessly (“Just Do It,” Op-ed, July 1st). Despite finding ample reason to criticize the “cap and trade” legislation, he calls for it to be passed anyway. His reasoning is disturbing. We must pass this bad bill because, by golly, the world needs to see that we’re serious.

Don’t we have enough examples of what happens when Congress rushes through major legislation? The Patriot Act had to be revisited and fixed years later, the massive stimulus has not done any stimulating, and no one in Congress knows what’s going on with the TARP funds.

Chicken Littles always demand that government act now and do something – anything. But our legislature, via the deliberative and detached Senate crafted by our Founders, was designed to work much slower, and for good reason. “Just do it” is a fine slogan for a shoe company, but it has no place in politics.

Sincerely,

Brian Garst

Global Warming letter to the editor