Why is Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA8) Constantly Acting to the Detriment of His Constituents? IS IT PAST TIME FOR HIM TO GO?

Don Beyer (D-VA8) is my US Congressman and he represents the Virginia Congressional District closest to Washington, DC, our Nation’s Capital and the home of the Pentagon.  The number of causes championed by Beyer detrimental to his constituents are too numerous to chronicle here but the two that most irritate me are:

> His untiring support for DC Statehood with it disastrous tax implications for residents of Virginia and Maryland, especially voters in his district that are so unfortunate as to have to work in the District. Most VA-8 residents would be in the 8.5% DC Tax Bracket although some would hit the 9.5% one.

> His persistent fraternization with and support for the notorious traitor “Hanoi Jane” Fonda including her constant shenanigans that snarl DC Traffic and inconvenience his constituents. Also, just the embarrassment of being constantly photographed with someone that is a “slap in the face” of all Veterans, especially those of us that had the privilege of serving in Vietnam.

Now let’s look at each of these issues in depth:

Support for DC Statehood.  Beyer Co-sponsored H.R. 317,  New Columbia Admission Act 15_H317 on Jan 13, 2015 - Statehood for the District of Columbia, which “Sets forth procedures for admission into the United States of the state of New Columbia.”

The first thing a new state of New Columbia would do is impose a Commuter Tax on Virginia and Maryland residents unlucky enough to have to work in DC. As I mentioned before, because the 8.5% DC Tax Bracket begins at $60,000 a year, most of Beyer’s constituents would fall in that bracket although several would be in the 9.5% bracket.

Currently the District of Columbia’s government doesn’t have the authority to attack the liberty of people who are not citizens of the District through an income tax. In fact, in and of itself, the D.C. government has no authority to do anything. It has only what authority Congress grants it. And Congress has specifically barred the District from taxing its neighbors.  The Home Rule Act (1973) prohibits DC from levying a commuter Tax, a provision added at the insistence of local congressmen of BOTH parties from Maryland and Virginia and accepted as part of the compromise necessary to pass the Act.

In 2004 DC went to Court seeking to interject its authority into the tax policy of its neighbors and levy an income tax on the citizens of Virginia and Maryland who happen to work each day in the District. A federal judge heard initial arguments in the District’s suit seeking to declare the law barring a DC commuter tax unconstitutional arguing that Congress is limiting the rights of DC residents by barring a commuter tax. The District also contended that its citizens’ rights were violated because the District has no vote in Congress, and thus, no way to make the citizens’ voice heard on the issue.

In their responses, the federal government and Attorneys General from BOTH Maryland and Virginia hit on a number of key points. For example, they pointed out that the District is not a state, and doesn’t have the same rights as states. They also argued that commuters already pay sufficient taxes to the District through sales, meals, and other levies, to cover the services that they utilize during their days at work, and they shouldn’t have to pay for services that they won’t ever be able use as non-residents.  Finally, they pointed out that Article I Section 8. US Constitution states: “Congress shall have power …. To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States …” Hence, it would take a Constitutional Amendment for DC Statehood, something that will NEVER happen.

Fortunately, the judge ruled that the DC arguments, while creative, were also (borrowing an expression from Joe Biden I’m sure) “a bunch of malarkey.”

Fraternization with the NotoriousTraitor “Hanoi Jane” Fonda.  Beyer constantly associates with and routinely has his picture taken with “Hanoi Jane” – the Infamous Traitor who proudly posed on a North Vietnamese Anti-Aircraft Gun used to shoot down American Airmen during her trip to North Vietnam supporting our enemy in that War. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she actually engaged a few “targets” while she was there.  In these pictures that are also viral on the Internet it certainly looks like she was having such a terrific time atop that AA Gun!

Beyer’s District is home to the Pentagon, the headquarters for the entire US Military, and has one of the highest percentages of Active Duty and Retired Military, and Veterans in the Nation but that doesn’t deter Beyer from his BFF status with “Hanoi Jane.”  To say she is vilified by almost all Veterans would be an understatement.  Although apologists say she has apologized for being photographed on that anti-aircraft gun and point to her 1988 Barbara Walters interview where “Hanoi Jane” expressed regret for some of her comments and actions as proof of her remorse, that’s not the full story.  True, in that interview she did state: “I would like to say something, not just to Vietnam veterans in New England, but to men who were in Vietnam, who I hurt, or whose pain I caused to deepen because of things that I said or did…. I want to apologize to them and their families. ... I will go to my grave regretting the photograph of me in an anti-aircraft gun, which looks like I was trying to shoot at American planes. It hurt so many soldiers. It galvanized such hostility. It was the most horrible thing I could possibly have done. It was just thoughtless.”

Of course what is always left unsaid is what prompted this insincere “apology” was she was shooting a film in New England at the time and it was being disrupted by Vietnam Vets protesting her presence. The production delays were costing her big bucks and she issued that insincere apology in an effort to quell the Veteran riots that were disrupting her shooting and almost driving her into bankruptcy.  Now knowing this piece of omitted information, you can judge for yourself how sincere her “apology” was.

Now how have “Hanoi Jane’s” recent antics affected Beyer’s VA-8 constituents? On Friday, 20 December 2019, “Hanoi Jane” was arrested here in DC for the fifth time in the past three months during a demonstration over global warming, something has she has done every Friday in Washington since early October.  At least this time she was nabbed inside the Hart Senate Office Building so she was only inconveniencing politicians. Earlier in the month on 5 December her antics managed to snarl traffic all over the city as she led a rolling protest that meandered through downtown Washington for more than seven hours including the morning rush.  “Hanoi Jane” and her gaggle of followers blocked major intersections with bodies and banners, sending cars and buses down winding, alternate routes. Outside some Washington offices she and her protesters chained themselves to doors blocking all entrances and exits. Despite hours of disruptions and tense moments between her protesters and DC police, officials were too intimidated by her coziness with politicians like Beyer that they didn’t make a single arrest.  Appears disrupting traffic and making his Virginia constituents late to work doesn’t trouble Beyer in the least.

Global warming is a worthy cause

but “Hanoi Jane” Fonda is the wrong face for the movement. Veterans will never forgive her for those picture of her laughing and smiling as she was manning that North Vietnamese antiaircraft battery used to shoot down and kill American pilots. What’s even more galling is my Congressman Don Beyer is constantly appearing with her and having his picture taken with this traitor. As recently as this past October Beyer he even had her as his “special guest” at a Women’s Forum he sponsored at George Mason University and he appeared on stage at the event with her praising her “activism” including her deplorable traitorous antics in North Vietnam.

Beyer even being in company of “Hanoi Jane” let alone praising her is a slap in the face of all Vets and especially those of us that were sent by our Nation to fight the Vietnam War. I realize Beyer reached draft age at the height of that war but managed to dodge the draft but that doesn’t give him a pass from those of us that did answer our Nation’s call. I would urge all voters in Beyer’s Virginia Congressional District to contact him and voice displeasure at his association with a traitor like “Hanoi Jane.”

I hope ALL Virginia 8th District Voters, but especially Veterans, are disgusted by Don Beyer’s deplorable association with “Hanoi Jane” Fonda and I encourage every VA-8 Constituent to contact his Congressional Office by either email at:   RepDonBeyer@mail.house.gov  or by filling out an online message at: https://beyer.house.gov/contact/  to voice displeasure at Congressman Beyer having the audacity to appear with a traitor like “Hanoi Jane.”

MAYBE IT’S ABOUT TIME WE VOTE THIS “POLITICIAN” THAT ASSOCIATES WITH TRAITORS OUT OF OFFICE AND REPLACE HIM WITH A GENUINE LOYAL AMERICAN.