The Big Difference: Specter v. Casey
UPDATED BELOW
As regular readers are surely aware, I have a fairly consistent and contentious relationship with my two senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey, thanks to my nearly daily calls to their offices to complain about this, that, or the other thing. Sometimes I place these calls simply to be an asshole: when my public servants seem to spend more time representing corporate interest and undermining the Constitution, I think it’s my duty to call them out. Politicians respond to pressure from constituents, and often a volley of phone calls and letters can scare them into doing the right thing.
One particular issue I find myself calling about with increasing frequency is the price of oil and gas. Thanks to the leadership cowardice of Senator Specter, we’re engaged in a long war in Iraq with no end in sight, which combined with his similarly lemming-like support for Bush’s tax cuts and weak dollar policy, has led directly to $4.00 gas and $5.00 diesel. I make a lot of calls asking these two public servants what they’re doing to provide relief to families and individuals like me. The difference between their responses is stark and telling.
Riiiing….riiiiing
“Hello, Arlen Specter’s office.” The young woman who answers the phone always sounds harried and annoyed.
“Hi this is Brendan Skwire. I’m the constituent from Philadelphia who calls all the time about… well everything. Listen, I know I call a lot and rag on Senator Specter when he does things I disagree with, but I want you to know it’s not just you: my relationship with Senator Casey’s office is equally contentious, and I call him and complain just as much as I call you guys. But hey: I have a serious concern.
“Thanks to the war in Iraq and the Bush Administration’s weak dollar policy, oil and gasoline prices are through the roof, pushing $4.00 a gallon. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m a separated parent: my son lives in Montreal, Quebec, and it’s a 1000 mile round trip to pick him up and bring him back. I have a decent job with a good salary, but the total cost of gas for each trip is well over $600.00. That’s more than a third of my monthly pay, and after child support, my student loan, and my mortgage, I have to depend on my aging parents to help to fill the tank. I keep reading stories that gas is going to go up to $6.00, maybe even $8.00 a gallon. This is damaging my ability to carry on a relationship with my 4-year old son, and I’m worried that pretty soon I won’t be able to afford to have him visit me.
“So I want to know: what is Senator Specter actually DOING to provide relief for Pennsylvanians? I realize my circumstances are kind of extraordinary because of the international border, but I know a lot of other divorced parents have to travel similar distance within the United States. I’m certain that Senator Specter doesn’t believe in breaking up families, so I want to know: what is he doing to help mitigate the problem?”
“The Senator hasn’t issued a statement sir, so I can’t answer your question” the woman said, “But if you’d like, I’ll transfer you to the aide in charge of energy policy and he’ll call you back.” I agreed, there was a click, and then a phone rang a few times. The energy aide wasn’t at his desk, the recorded message told me, but if I would leave my name, number, and a message, my call would be returned.
Today is Wednesday, May 28th. It has been a week, and no one has returned my call.
After leaving my message with Senator Specter’s aide, I called Senator Casey’s office. I always seem to get the same guy at Casey’s.
“Mr Skwire! A pleasure to speak with you again,” he began.
“Hey how are you,” I began. “Listen I know I call about energy issues a lot and I’ve been critical of some of Senator Casey’s decisions in the past, but at the risk of beating a dead horse, I need some kind of response on energy. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m a separated parent…” and I launched into the same background I offered to Senator Specter’s office, including the nod to my tenacious and aggressive phone calls.
“…so I’d like to know what Senator Casey is DOING to mitigate this problem and bring down the price of gas and oil, because I know there’s no way that Senator Casey wants to break up families.”
“Well, Mr. Skwire, I’m sure you’re aware of the various pressures driving up the cost of gas,” he started, and went into a list that ranged from the war, to China’s increased demand, to the weak dollar, before I stopped him.
“Yeah, I know all that,” I said, “and with all due respect you’re kind of not answering my question. I’m understand that the Senator recognizes the problem, but what I want to know is what is he doing to solve it.”
“Mr. Skwire, I understand. And unfortunately I actually don’t know the answer to that question. But if you give me your name and address… oh wait are you still at XXXX?”
“Yup, that’s my address.”
“Listen, I am going to bring this up with our energy aide, and I will make sure that you get some written correspondence that provides you with some kind of pertinent answer about the gas crisis. It may take a little time, but we will DEFINITELY get something out to you.”
“Hey thanks!” I said. “Oh and by the way, you always seem to get my phone calls.”
“Yes… yes I do,” he said.
“Listen, if you’re ever in Philadelphia, use that phone number you have in the database and look me up. After all the crap I give you, I figure I owe you a beer.”
The guy started laughing. “At LEAST a beer!”
“I’m tellin’ ya!” I chuckled. “I probably oughta make it a pitcher! But hey, I have to get moving. Thanks a lot for your help in this matter, and I’m looking forward to Senator Casey’s letter.”
“Mr. Skwire, always a pleasure to speak with you,” and we hung up.
Now, I fully expect Senator Casey’s letter to be little more than platitudes: I don’t think ANYONE in Congress has any answers to the gasoline and fuel crisis. The problem is so all-encompassing, and has been left to fester for so long, that any solutions will be politically unpalatable. Nobody’s going to mandate that auto manufacturers make cars that get 75 miles per gallon, no one’s going to tear down the suburbs and exurbs and relocate communities in a sustainable location, and the country is simply too huge to build a national rail system that competes with the interstate.
But that’s not the point. The point is that Senator Specter’s office deal with constituents by stonewalling, refusing to return phone calls, and treating people like they don’t matter, while Senator Casey’s office actually listens to what you have to say, tries to answer your questions, and if they can’t they make a sincere effort to find someone who CAN help you.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised: since when has the modern Republican Party given a shit about anyone other than the rich and powerful?
UPDATE: In an effort to give Arlen Specter’s energy aide the benefit of the doubt, I called back today, reminded the always harried and annoyed sounding young woman of last week’s call, and asked to be transferred. Again, no one answered, and again I left my name, number, and message. I made a point of stating my number first, so there would be no confusion. That was at noon: it’s almost 4:00 PM, and I have yet to get a call back.
2 Responses to “The Big Difference: Specter v. Casey”
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May 28th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I have got to tell you, I was so on the fence re: Hold nose and vote for Casey vs. not vote, and there’s a really good chance I may have done the latter if Little Ricky wasn’t such a vomit-marinated turd.
I have to admit now that based on some of the turnaround I have seen in him, I’m pretty happy with him. It’s an upward trend / math thing - I had negative-to-zero expectations of him and the fact that he does come thru for us astounds me. And I would even venture to say I am interested in seeing what future terms bring - maybe finally getting a bigger platform somehow opened his ears and mind a little too.
I know - crazy talk
May 28th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
It took a lot of pressure to get him on board for FISA, but he’s voted the right way every time.
My issues with Senator Casey relate to his pro-life stance, but even that is mitigated by his strong support for contraception and sex ed.
I definitely had to hold my nose when I voted for casey, but now I’m sorta glad I did. His office is definitely a lot of fun.