Greetings,
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My name is [Name], I live at [address], and I hope this message finds you well. I'm contacting you to express my outrage at the Defund Cities which Defund the Police Act you recently introduced. The bill denies essential federal funds, such as Community Development Block Grant Programs, to municipalities that take a hard look at their strained budgets and decide that economic and mental healthcare investments may reduce crime more than bloated police forces.
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Amidst the worst pandemic in modern American history, you waste your time to punish municipalities that choose to exercise one of the only powers at their disposal. Our township and municipal councils are closer to the people and thus understand their priorities and beliefs more than you or any other congressperson. The fact that you're asking representatives around the country that have never heard of Bucks County to come together to constrain our local destiny is grotesque, unamerican, and flies in the face of the conservative principle of local control that you espouse.
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Furthermore, the premise of the bill is nonsensical. Half of Pennsylvania's municipalities do not have their own police force, will they be punished as well? Your bill suggests that each and every municipality in Pennsylvania is spending the proper amount on policing to optimize security, but you forget that budgets are a zero-sum game. Why have you failed to introduce a bill that prevents cuts in mental health services? Or education? Why not invest federal dollars, knowing how much more strained our local government is. The reason is obvious: you're facing a challenger and feel compelled to take a stance against the Black Lives Matter movement, but it will backfire. Most people in our district believe we spend far too much on policing, and too little on social services. If this bill proceeds, I and many others will vigorously oppose your reelection.
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Best Regards, [Name]
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Fitzpatrick Number: (215) 579-8102 Fitzpatrick email form: https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/email-me