Sent from Ralph to Speaker Boehner on July 12, 2011

My name is Ralph Casey.  I am a businessman in Georgia. From April 30 –June 22 this year I traveled by horse drawn wagon from Chatsworth, Georgia to Washington DC. When I arrived in Washington I had the opportunity to speak to Congressman Graves for a short period.

I would like to return to Washington at your convenience to speak to a group of Congressman and Senators to relate to you what I learned from the American public during my trip. I thought being a businessman that I was in touch with things in this country but I quickly learned that is untrue.  I also have five questions that I have compiled from the trip to ask.

Please let me know when would be a good time to set up a meeting. I can fly into Washington DC anytime.

Ralph Casey

Reply from Speaker Boehner’s office on July 12, 2011

Thank you for your request, however, Speaker Boehner is unable to meet due to his demanding schedule.  I apologize we cannot accommodate your request; thank you for understanding.

Please let me know if there is anything I can assist you with further.

Best,

Kyla Kamis

Office of the Speaker

Congressman John A. Boehner

(202) 225-0600

Ralph’s response on July 13, 2011

Dear Mr. Speaker

Your assistant Kyla asked if there was anything she can assist me with further. Yes, please recommend the next best person I could meet with under Speaker Boehner.

For myself being a small businessman, owner of a farrier school and the president of the largest farrier association in the world, I thought I was very much in touch with some of the problems going on in America.  I traveled from Georgia to Washington DC in a horse and wagon. I found that people were not frightened of me because of the way I was traveling; instead, they came out to meet me! People came out in the thousands; small business people, bankers, military vets and I could go on.  I got to meet these people face to face.  I was shocked at just how out of touch I had become. Everyone I met, and I am not stretching the truth, said I wouldn’t get any answers in Washington from the Democrats or Republicans. Believe it or not I am beginning to agree. From the reply I received from you, let me correct myself from your advisor, you didn’t have the time in your busy schedule to listen to one of the citizens of the United States. I could say thank you for your time however since I didn’t get any time with you by letter or in person, I will say thank you to your advisor.

Two rare horses were pulling my wagon, Exmoors. In fact there are only a hand full left in the world. I had a letter sent to the First Lady stating I would like to give these horses to her children. I never heard a reply. Is this what our country has come to, where you only answer questions for the news media?  

I had five questions.  They were simple questions that I would have liked to have asked the congress, even our President. I was naïve enough to think I would get answers. Of course I am a little old fashioned. I wanted to ask these questions face to face. That is how I was brought up, not to be answered by advisors that thought up a good answer.

Here is a small example of how out of touch our leaders are.  I did visit with one congressman and in the conversation we were talking about why I stopped at Arlington National Cemetery before I entered DC.  I visited Audie Murphy’s grave. His reply was who is Audie Murphy. Not one advisor or the congressman had any clue who Audie Murphy was. One of my questions was concerning veterans.

I took 55 days out of my time to travel so I could meet with and talk to people. I slept in the wagon and met wonderful people along the way. These five questions I have to ask would only take 15 minutes of your time to answer.

I can see that your advisors are out of touch with the small business people in America. I am in hopes that our congressmen both Republicans and Democrats are honest. I am assuming they are. I do realize that no leader can make judgments upon poor advice. Maybe that is why our country is in the shape it’s in.

I am posting this on my Facebook and website for all the farriers and the thousands of people I met on the way to read. They were right I didn’t get any answers. I would like to thank them for their prayers and their support.

Respectfully,

Ralph Casey

Small businessman and owner of farrier school in Georgia

P.S. Ladies and gentleman I was once a Democrat changed to a Republican but now I am sure you can see why I am changing to be an Independent.