Long co-sponsor H.R. 25; Good job, Bill Phelps!

Bill Phelps ought to be mighty glad that Congressman "Just call me Billy" Long skipped the reading of the U.S. Constitution on the floor of the House of Representatives on opening day of the session and made the decision to visit with Phelps instead.

Frequent bus riders will remember reading this post and this earlier post where we questioned where Long was during the reading.

We now know, by virtue of Billy's self admission on Twitter, that Long was visiting with Fair Tax Lobbyist Bill Phelps.

Now, comes this news that Congressman Billy Long is one of the sponsors of H.R. 25-- the fair tax bill.

Looks like Phelps'lobbying Long has paid of for him and his cronies because (and this is from the American Independent Party website)

On Wednesday, January 5, 2011, Congressman Rob Woodall (GA-07) introduced H.R. 25, the FairTax. The FairTax legislation eliminates the current income tax paradigm and replaces it with a system of taxation based on consumption. The bill was introduced on Wednesday with 47 original co-sponsors—the most original co-sponsors the bill has ever had for its initial introduction.

Replace the income tax with a system of taxation based on consumption. That's a national sales tax.

Billy's a big man. I'm a big man, too. I'll bet that Billy and I can match each other bite for bite in our consumption of edibles. (I won't contest him in a drinking contest because he likes scotch and I don't-- so he wins that by default.)

Comparing our grocery bills, I'll wager that Billy and I buy and eat the same amount of food. Billy may have a bit of an advantage over me in this wager because he's a gambling man and knows about point spread and fading and all the other gambling talk and I don't

Anyhow, I'm saying that our grocery bills would be about the same based on the amount of food we buy and consume. He may buy more scotch than I but I probably buy more beer than him. So, all this equalized, we probably spent the same amount of money on consumables.

Where am I going with this? Billy's salary, as our representative in congress, is in excess of $174,000.00 a year -- that is public record. I'm on pension and while I'm not going to share my pension information (it's in the low five figures) with you bus riders, you can be dang tootin' it ain't nowhere near $174,000.00 a year.

So, for the sake of arguement, let's say I get a yearly check of $17,400.00 a year. Billy gets a yearly check of $174,000.00 a year.

Billy and I both eat the same amount of food we purchase at the grocery store, let's say we both spend $1,740.00 a year on food and beverage from the grocery store.

Billy makes $174,000.00 a year and spends $1,740.00 a year on consumables. You still with me? That's about 1% of his income.

Your friendly bus driver makes $17,400.00 a year and spends $1,740.00 (the same amount as Billy) on consumables. That's about 10% of his income.

Billy pays a 'fair tax' on $1,740, the bus driver pays a 'fair tax' on $1,740. Who pays more tax?

What's fair about that?

MMmmm, it smells like a rose! (Don't worry, it's just a little prick.)

Why Congressman Billy Long missing the reading of the US Constitution on the House floor yesterday is significant:

Bungalow Bill nails it

Fed Up with how things are done in Washington DC was noticeably absent from yesterday's reading of the Constitution in the House of Representatives. Running on the Tea Party label claiming to be Tea Party before the Tea Party was cool, Billy Long skipped the first major act of Congress that showed the relevance of the Tea Party. That's the significance of Long missing yesterday's reading.

There is another significance of yesterday's decision to miss the reading. All throughout the campaign, Long reminded voters he was fed up with how things are done in DC. While the reading represents the hope of change of how things are done in DC and the desire of the Tea Party to return to the basic foundation the Constitution establishes, Long's actions yesterday also suggest Long will maintain the status quo of what Washington DC is. Why you ask?

Well it turns out Billy Long skipped the Constitution reading to meet with Bill Phelps, which Long tweeted However, in his tweet, Long gave Phelps the title of lieutenant governor. That's misleading.

While it is true, Phelps is a former lieutenant governor, he is also a lobbyist. Phelps wasn't in Billy Long's office on a casual visit. He was there lobbying. While I admit Phelps lobbies for a good cause, it doesn't change the fact Long put a lobbyist and the status quo before this unique event in the history of our Republic.

Phelps, who doesn't even live in Missouri's Seventh District, is a lobbyist and spokesman for the Americans for Fair Tax. Surely Phelps should have realized the significance of yesterday's reading and allow Long to be on the House floor where he needed to be for the event. To really put this in perspective, even Nancy Pelosi participated in the reading of the Constitution yesterday, where as Billy Long decided to meet with an lobbyist and a career politician/political insider.

"We were overrun with surveys," Long said.....

News Leader story this morning with the headline "Hartzler a top spender on mailers"

Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, ranked 87th in his spending on taxpayer-funded mailers, compared to other House lawmakers. He took the No. 2 slot within the Missouri delegation, spending about $115,000 in the last nine months of 2011.

Long said that when he arrived in Washington, GOP leaders encouraged freshman to take advantage of the franking privilege. “They said ‘you need to frank, you need to keep your constituents informed and involved so people you know you’re the congressman’.”

He didn’t send out any mailers for the first few months, but now he’s a convert to the practice. One of his first missives was a newsletter that told constituents about disaster recovery efforts after the tornado in Joplin. Included in the newsletter was a survey that voters could fill out to weigh in on various national issues.

“We were overrun with surveys,” Long said, estimating that 1,200 to 1,500 residents took the time to fill out the survey and mail it back.

So he has sent out other newsletter-surveys. And he has held telephone town hall meetings, too.

I've gotten Billy's surveys before and been a participant in his telephone town halls also. The Turner Report filed this report on Billy's first teletown hall:

Anyone waiting for an opportunity to ask Seventh District Congressman Billy Long about the issues that affect southwest Missouri and the nation might as well forget it...Long's aides are letting it be known that the Congressman feels he reached more people through his recent telephone town hall meeting than he could reach through in-person meetings.

Left unmentioned is the obvious: With the telephone meeting, Long may have reached thousands of people, but all they had a chance to do is listen to Long reel off folksy one-liners and take questions from carefully pre-screened listeners. I might add that in the one hour town hall meeting, Long only fielded five questions, with one of those being specifically about one man's problems with the Veterans Administration.

The latest teletown hall Billy did was on Israel/Iran issues, somewhere around the garage I got the notes I took from that phone call. I do remember there was a lot of talk about bombing Iran.

And that newsletter survey? I saved that too.

I liked Question #7: What is the single biggest impact government has on you and your household?
*Lack of meaningful employment
*Health care costs
*Health insurance availability
*Government regulations
*High taxes
*High energy prices
*Paying for education
*Other___________

Just about what one would expect from the congressman who has been described as a loud, opinionated person who’s thinly veiled racism and misogyny is only superseded by his not-so-thinly veiled hatred of gays.

He says he’s a Christian, but never misses the opportunity to cheer for war, judge his neighbor, applaud the death penalty, and bloviate proudly about how merciless he is.

He fights anything that challenges his fantasy of earned superiority, even if Liberal socialism of Social Security, Medicare, etc. allows him to live in dignity.

He regales you with factually incorrect tales of American history.

He disdains “intellectuals,” and perceives science as a “liberal plot.”

It tickles his brain to hear Paul Ryan paint a picture of millions of lazy bums swinging in the cushy hammock of our social safety-net.

He fears the end of liberty if the government confiscates rich people’s money and they stop “trickling down jobs” on us.

His fear, inflated sense of self-worth, and bigotry cause him to pander to an ideology that opposes progress and places him squarely on the wrong side of history. Here is a list of issues where, from a historical perspective, he is or will be dead wrong:

• Equal rights and opportunity for all races
• Equal rights and opportunity for women
• Equal rights and opportunity for LGBT people
• Minimum wage, child labor laws, sick leave…
• Conservation of natural resources
• Austerity as a path out of recession
• Environmental protection
• Humane treatment of animals
• Freedom of religion
• Reproductive health rights
• Deficit reduction and taxes
• Social Security
• Affordable health care
• Deregulation to produce economic growth.

It would seem to me that if Billy's going to spend in excess of $115,000 on surveys---(“We were overrun with surveys,” Long said, estimating that 1,200 to 1,500 residents took the time to fill out the survey and mail it back) and this survey went to every voter's household in MO7 -- and he only got 1,200 to 1,500 replies-- I would think that someone in his office would tabulate or should tabulate the responses and Billy should know exactly how many he received back.

But that would involve work. It is much easier to brag about your votes on repealing healthcare, repealing funding for Planned Parenthood and National Public Radio, his support of the Fair Tax (thanks Bill Phelps), the Sanctity of Life bill (from fertilization an egg is a person-personhood amendment) and a bill to reduce frivolous transportation lawsuits- than it is to actually govern.

Billy and surveys... what a joke. Frequent bus riders may also remember Springfield News Leader reporter Cory DeVera giving us Billy's response to his written answers on the 'jillions of surveys' he receives: "That's just another out-of-state survey," said Republican candidate for 7th District Billy Long. "We get a jillion of them. There are a bunch of others I don't fill out. I've got my positions listed on my website."

"Just another out-of-state survey" in which Billy Long expressed his support for privatizing the U.S. Postal Service, killing medicare and social security (he voted for the Ryan budget bill, remember) .

I went to Billy's website to read his positions, they are different than what he signed on those surveys.

I wonder if Billy pays the same amount of attention to our survey responses as he says he gives to his survey responses. Remember this? I do.
Let's take a ride on the bus back to September 25, 2010:

The problem here is that Long told the three of us that he is not for raising the Social Security age right now at all. He didn't answer when we asked for clarification.

So we turn to other sources of information about Long, surveys and questionairres he has answered and who he accepted donations from. If he accepts money from NARAL, that is a pretty good indicator his is pro-choice. If he receives an endorsement from PROMO, that is a pretty good indication he is in favor of gay marriage.

Look now at a story in this morning's SN-L about political surveys:

"That's just another out-of-state survey," said Republican candidate for 7th District Billy Long. "We get a jillion of them. There are a bunch of others I don't fill out. I've got my positions listed on my website."

Researchers at Project Vote Smart were "unable to determine how Long stood on privatizing Social Security, capital punishment and regulations to affect climate change."

While we don't know how many surveys or questionnaires the auctioneer/political candidate didn't answer (somehow the number "jillions" seems to be quite the exageration), he did find time to respond questions from two groups that a simple google search picked up: "Citizens Against Government Waste" who said "Billy Long responded to CCAGW’s questionnaire and signed CCAGW’s ‘No Earmark Pledge'.

The auctioneer also answered a survey for "Conservative Congress". He received this group's endorsement also. Conservative Congress supports candidates who seek to dismantle the Department of Education and Social Security.

From the Conservative Congress website:

Conservative Congress supports candidates who are committed to de-regulating and dismantling wasteful federal social agencies and programs. Specifically, Conservative Congress supports candidates who seek to dismantle the Department of Education and Social Security, by and through constructive reforms, and who firmly oppose the expansion of federal control over our nation’s healthcare industry.

In endorsing Billy Long, the Conservative Congress says he is an approved candidate and fully in line with their mission statement.

Long also is a of 'vanguard' member of John Boehner's Freedom Project

By looking at these groups and their positions on Social Security, and their endorsement of Billy Long and his acceptance of their endorsements (remember how Long was all over Goodman for accepting casino donations? I do.) can only mean one of two things:

In tonight's debate Long said he never filled out a survey, the group didn't have a survey.

I guess when Billy Long says he gets "jillions" of surveys it is easy to forget which ones he answered and how he answered them.

Are you "Fed Up" now?

Billy Long: SoLongBilly.com

If you are like me and most of the voters in MO7

and are "FED UP" with Billy Long and his full of himself attitude--

I mean the man's a serial egotist--

Remember how he told he was "FED UP" with career politicians and their cronies?

He was lying to us. He played all of us for fools and suckers. That was just a campaign slogan that he blew out the window the first day congress was in session.

Yeah, the fat sum beach spent the first day congress was in session meeting with a lobbyist! He didn't even show up in the house chambers for the reading of the Constitution. When I called his office and expressed my displeasure with that fact, one of his handlers told me Billy had had a prior commitment and was unable to be on the floor at the time.

His prior commitment -- and Billy even tweeted about it-- he was meeting with Bill Phelps, former republican Lt. Governor of Missouri and current lobbyist for the fair tax people.

Billy blew it the first day he was in office.

Now it's time to say so long Billy Long!

We got to get Billy voted out and a decent person in there.

Jim Evans for Congress

Where was Billy Long during the reading of the US Constitution in the House Chamber?

I was watching C-Span and the reps reading the US Constitution on the house chamber floor.

I saw Vicki Hartzler read her sentence, I heard a lot of reps read their sentences. I also saw a lot of empty seats which led me to post this tweet on twitter at around 11:20 AM:

Billy has constantly told us folks down here in MO 7 how important the constitution is to him and how he carries his rode hard and put away wet copy in his hip pocket.

So, when I didn't see him in the chambers during the reading, I thought he might be in the restroom, or maybe taking a break in the house lounge or perhaps in the house cafeteria getting a quick sugar fix or even in the lobby outside John Boehner's office trolling for reporters.

WRONG!

HE WASN'T EVEN IN THE BUILDING!Eight minutes later after my tweet, my Congressman, Bill Long, tweeted this: HE WASN'T EVEN IN THE BUILDING!

Ah jeez.

I just called Billy Long's office to express my disapproval that he wasn't even in the building during the reading of the constitution. The person I spoke to told that Billy had a previous appointment with Mr. Phelps. Billy's tweet makes it appear that Phelps just dropped in to see Billy.

What gives Congressman Long?

The Curbstone Critic on @Auctnr1-- Billy Long

John Stone, one of the first Springfield bloggers I met in person, wrote a blog he called "The Curbstone Critic" which is still out there in cyberspace.

John described himself like this:

I am an aging, liberal, balding, toothless, overweight, male whose idea of "good sex" is a piece of Key Lime cheesecake. So much for introductions.

I wish I could tell you that the name Curbstone Critic was a product of my befuddled mind. Unfortunately, it is not. It was used by an old friend who was the farm editor of the Springfield, Missouri, Leader and Press, and an occasional columnist who took great delight in annoying all the fundamentalists in this small midwestern town, Tom Ellis. RIP

John, who flew F4 fighter jets for our uncle, was a retired biologist and geneticist who had strong opinions about dang near everything (not only that,because he was retired he had the time to tell you). He took great photographs-- like this picture of Jesus in a tree over by Phelps Grove Park. The tree didn't make it through the 2007 ice storm...

"Sadly -- now Jesus lies on the ground cut by a chain saw into about ten pieces.... Even more gruesome than the cross.... SGF fundamentalists must have watched the Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

I have good memories of sitting in the Patton Alley Pub sharing simple thoughts with John, The Snarling Marmot, Fat Jack, Rhetorica, Desdinova and The Complex Mind.

Like Jesus in the tree, John didn't make it through 2007 either. He died on April 3, 2007, taking photographs at the downtown bus transfer station. John was 62.

My brother John, in addition to his blog, "By The Numbers" (linked on my link list on the sidebar) and "Hooniverse", has starting posting on "Curbstone Classics". His first post is about this wonderful 1972 Oldsmobile 98 Hardtop Coupe. Yeah!


Anyhow, I lost the link to John's post about the big black 98 (I'm partial to those early 70s big GMs-- Dad had a Buick Electra Deuce and a Quarter (225) that was bigger than most living rooms I've been in) and, in searching for it, I came across John's blog again. Yeah, it's still out there.

So, on a whim, I did a search of John's blog for any mention of Billy Long. Remember, John died of a heart attack in 2007, so anything he wrote about Billy Long pre-dates Long's foray into politics.

What did The Curbstone Critic have to say about Billy Long? Lots!

October 5, 2004: "Billy Long, a local businessman, who is willing to put his livlihood on the line to be a whore for any freep idea that comes down the line on his radio program on radio KWTO."

February 22, 2005: "Billy Long, a local used car salesman, and peddler of anything and everything, and a good Repug, said something that makes my IQ of 64 look like Einstein."

April 8, 2005: "But we can hold Billy personally responsible for what HE does, can't we? It's the old crazy right-wing idea of taking personal responsibility."

August 2, 2005: "Billy Long fitting in 18 commercials in a 30 minute period and Bonnie Bell doing some sort of Valley Girl talk imitation. So incessantly in-your-face right wing that Bill O'Reilly got an amplifier for his butt plug to drown out the noise."

September 14, 2005: "Billy Long got up early this morning to memorize the latest "talking points" memo for right-wing radio. Unfortunately, he actually believed it, since he didn't bother doing any checking of his own."

John thought Billy Long "half the time (he) doesn't have any idea of what he is talking about. And his only real interest in life is to sell me something."

Yep, I can just imagine what fun The Curbstone Critic would have with Billy Long.

Among the posts mentioning Long was this one, written on the occasion of comments made by Billy Long on his KWTO Morning Line Show on the occasion of the funeral of Coretta Scott King that John titled The Vile State of Local Radio:

The Vile State of Local Radio Thursday, February 09, 2006

I kinda' like local radio salesman Billy Long. I understand that half the time he doesn't have any idea of what he is talking about. And his only real interest in life is to sell me something. But that doesn't bother me since I can always laugh at him, note I said AT HIM, not WITH HIM.

But he has a bad habit of collecting talking points from KKKarl Rove every morning and then mindlessly repeating them, as he did this morning. By slimeing the funeral of Coretta Scott King. He didn't like it -- said it was too political -- I choked on my oatmeal. That's the same way they threw slime all over Paul Wellstone after practically his entire family was wiped out. And by the way, Billy, who the hell asked for your opinion on this woman's funeral anyway. Who in the world gives a flying fuck at a rolling donut hole what the hell you think about it? When you are dead and gone ... no one will care. Her name will be remembered for hundreds of years.

When you think about it what is the difference between Billy slimeing the funeral of Coretta Scott King, who he didn't know, and the Rev. Fred Phelps, of the Westboro Baptist Church slimeing the funerals of soldiers that he didn't know either?

Billy Long is a vile racist ... but he would deny it ... which only shows how badly out of touch he really is ... perhaps if he had black neighbors, or lived in New Orleans, or was poor, or had the man on his back all day, he would be a little more gracious to those who are less fortunate than he is. But I doubt it. Coming from an area that ran the blacks out years ago.

So I dedicate this song, sung by the Pigman on Billy's radio station, hisself as an inspiration to Billy Long.

But I don't expect him to get the message.

posted by John Stone at 2:29 AM 0 comments links to this post

John Stone 1945-2007