During the beginnings of the economic crisis, when the bailout package was first being discussed, I sent emails out to New Jersey Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg. These emails expressed concern and distain for the bailout package because it wasn't specific in its reparations to the American people. I didn't want the government bailout to be a blank check to greedy, failed banking institutions who were suffering from their own actions. I understood the necessity in providing help to these companies -  no matter how appalled we might be - simply because we can't let the American economic institution collapse; however, the government needed to make sure that these greedy corporation were held accountable for their actions.

My emails to the Senators expressed this outrage (yet understanding), but also emphasized the necessity of paying the taxpayers back. I had no interest in my tax dollars paying to bail out greedy companies, only for these companies to feel like they can get away with anything and the government will keep bailing them out when they need it. There needed to be some form of governmental regulation and payback to the taxpayers.

My proposal to the Senators was that stock options should be issued to the America citizens whose tax dollars bailed out these companies. If we, as citizens, had to be responsible for giving them money and bailing them out, then we should also get a piece of the company that our money was going to.

As you know from my unanswered letters to Senator Jeff Bingaman about energy, my track record for receiving even a canned response from government officials is non-existent. So you can imagine my surprise when I received a letter in the mail yesterday from Senator Robert Menendez replying to my concerns over the bailout package.

Sure it was probably written by an intern or some other staff member. In fact, it probably was never even read by the Senator himself. But somebody in the office read it and saw that it dealt with the concerns of the bailout and how it would affect the citizens of America, and then took the initiative to gather up information on Senator Menendez's position on the bailout (including his own support for the measure only after additional provisions for "Main Street" were included) and forward it over to me in letter form.

Regardless of who in his office it came from, at least the Senator's office shows that they are reading emails and letters, and the office does take the time out to respond to the people that the Senator represents - which is more than I can say for a lot of other politicians.