Dear Sir or Madam:
I visited the FTC website, and printed out the document, "Competition Counts, How Consumers Win When Businesses Compete." As I was reading, it became readily apparent to me that our own Federal Government is violating anti-trust laws by destroying competition and the free market.
You are, no doubt, aware that this is happening with regard to "matters affecting energy, real estate, health care, food, pharmaceuticals, cable TV, computer technology, video programming, and broadband Internet access." [page 2 and 3 of your document] I will concentrate on the items I have emphasized above.
On the basis of a world-wide hoax called "Global Warming," [I realize that since this is not happening, some people are now calling it "Climate Change.] the Federal Government has seized control of energy, in the form of subsidies for growing corn for ethanol fuel. Our nation's economy is suffering because of government interference in this area, as well as in the area of real estate. Our tax dollars are being stolen from us to pay for these government actions. If biofuels were a good investment, businesses would be tripping over each other in their rush to invest. The only way to induce biofuel production is through government subsidization. This means that CONSUMERS are bearing the costs, both at the pumps and groceries; and through taxes. We are paying for the very programs that are causing us to pay higher prices! How ludicrous is that?
These practices are affecting markets and economies of nations around the world. In addition, people are starving because they cannot obtain food. I was shocked to learn while shopping for groceries, that the amount of rice I would be permitted to purchase would be rationed. Now, the United States of America is able to produce more food than any other country on the face of the earth. We have a wealth of petroleum resources which, were we permitted to access them, would make us completely energy-independent. This would still allow us to prosper, while clean nuclear power plants are built, and newer energy sources are researched and developed. This plan would ENCOURAGE free-market competition and investment. Current government policies are DISCOURAGING these things in two ways: 1) making it impossible for businesses to compete because there is no profit; 2) decreasing available capital resources to invest, through increased taxes and causing investors to suffer financial losses.
What good are our beautiful national parks, and natural treasures, if we cannot afford to travel and see them? I ask you, would you return us to the stone ages? I believe you would. And, these policies prevent people in poor countries from having a decent meal, let alone improve their health and standard of living. I hesitate to take a vacation by air or by automobile, due to artificially inflated fuel and food prices. I have to save my money to be able to fund government subsidies, so that I can contribute to the problem, and continue the cycle of inflation. This means that I am NOT SPENDING money on products and services, which is affecting the businesses which offer them. How can the Federal Government expect to increase revenue, if people only spend money on essentials?
I did seriously read the document I refer to above, and am contacting you as instructed at the end. I want to formally complain on behalf of American Consumers, about anti-trust violations on the part of the Federal Government. The FTC is supposed to be protecting us, protecting the free market, and competition. No business or industry can possible compete with the Federal Government! Who can compete with the US Postal Service (who has failed me on a number of occasions)? How can couriers like FEDEX or UPS have the opportunity to compete fairly? I believe they would do a better job. I quote directly from your document: "Competition in America is about price, selection, and service. It benefits consumers by keeping prices low and the quality and choice of goods and services high. By enforcing antitrust laws, the Federal Trade Commission helps to ensure that our markets are open and free. The FTC promotes healthy competition and challenges anticompetitive business practices to make sure that consumers have access to quality goods and services, and that businesses can compete on the merits of their work. The FTC does not choose winners and losers-you, as the consumer, do that. Rather, our job is to make sure that businesses are competing fairly within a set of rules."
Now is the time for the FTC to intervene on behalf of consumers. Actually, this should have been done a long time ago. What good is your bureaucracy, and why should our tax dollars maintain it, if you do not do your job? How large is the FTC, how large is your budget, and how many people do you employ? I would think that the FTC would have picked up on my issues long ago. After all, it is what you are paid to do. I am a taxpayer, and a consumer. I am becoming very limited in what I am able to consume, choices I am allowed to make, the type of light bulbs I must buy, and what goes in my car's fuel tank; because the FTC has allowed the Federal Government to have a monopoly on running business interests they have no business interfering with.
The so-called "mortgage crisis," should be solved by our free-market economy. Why should I pay to bail out builders and borrowers for poor investment decisions? I have much invested in my home, and have never had so much as a late mortgage payment in my life. Not only will people such as myself be paying for this "bail-out" program, we will also be PAYING TAXES TO REDUCE OUR OWN PROPERTY VALUES. This is unfair competition; I cannot place my home on the market and compete with the subsidized tax credit someone else will receive for buying the foreclosed property down the street! I have to pay for that, AND will be forced to lower my selling price. I will end up with nothing, after having conducted the investment in my home in good faith.
I have repeatedly contacted my elected officials, and they do nothing. I am now appealing to the organization that is supposed to protect us. Our freedoms are vanishing daily, COMRADES, and I have no desire to have my free market-based, Capitalist Republic country, which I dearly love, to become otherwise. If the FTC continues to ignore these issues, the Federal Government will be the SOLE source of food, fuel, energy, and health care. It will be the SOLE employer, the SOLE source of credit, the ONLY bank. Is this not what constitutes a monopoly? It sounds like Communism to me. Please refer to the Ten Planks of the Communist Manifesto.
I eagerly await your response, and fully expect the FTC to take immediate action. After all, it is what I, and every other taxpayer pay you to do. If there is more that I am required to do in order to file a formal complaint, please instruct me on how to accomplish this. I will be sending copies of this correspondence to others, whom I feel would be interested.
Sincerely,