Time to end this political nonsense and get a house of representatives that truly wants to represent the people. Closing the government down and then reopening selective parts of it is unacceptable. This kind of political grandstanding is totally dysfunctional.

The "Warren Buffet" email has been circulating on the internet. And while it's origins are false, the content is spot-on. Let's enact it.

All incumbents in the Congress are responsible for the budget/debt ceiling crisis, and it currently seems that the American people, their employer, has absolutely no leverage in this matter. They need to be held accountable, and the only way to do so is to pledge to vote them out of office if they fail to resolve these crises in the near future.

Monday night, nine Congressional Democrats showed solidarity -- with John Boehner. They sided with Boehner and the Tea Party Republicans in their attempt to delay the Affordable Care Act -- which of course they can't actually do. But what they can do -- and did -- was shut down the government. We want better government, not no government at all. Tell these nine Representatives that they've made a big mistake. Join us in telling Reps. Kyrsten Sinema, Ron Barber, John Barrow, Steven Horsford, Dan Maffei, Sean Patrick Maloney, Jim Matheson, Mike McIntyre and Raul Ruiz that it's wrong to side with the Tea Party bullies trying to stop Obamacare. The government shutdown has already closed HeadStart programs, furloughed workers and even closed medical trials for young cancer patients. And that's just the beginning -- the longer this shutdown continues, the worse it will get, for all of us. Politicians on Capitol Hill need to remember they work for us. Tell these nine Democrats that we didn't send them to Washington, DC to vote with the Tea Party to shut down the government. Please add your name and we'll deliver the petition to these nine members of Congress.

Republican extremism has impacted me in this way:

The welfare of our country and its citizens should be the top priority of our elected officials. It is ridiculous that elected officials can make such rash decisions that have an enormous impact on the income/economy of the America people, while avoiding any effects themselves.

Thousands of people are out of work because of this shutdown. People are going hungry. Our economic recovery is threatened. Government officials are not elected to shut down government but to work for the greater good of the people who elected them.

A close friend and his wife drove to Colorado and were going to stay in a national park, which is now closed. They ended up staying in a hotel one night before driving back home. I am sure he and his wife, and me and my wife, will vote you out of office next time for being stupid.

My daughter Jessica works for Homeland Security and she has to work, but she will not get paid. Yes, Homeland Security is important and must be done, but her salary is also important to support her family and meet her mortgage payments in a timely manner. How would you and your family survive if your salary was also stopped?

I am a federal worker overseas and Republican extremism is severely impacting me. They have stopped my pay and I am overseas where I cannot get unemployment benefits.

Republican extremism has impacted me in this way: My dad spent most of WWII in a German POW camp. As a result, I can't let people go hungry. As a result I make fairly large donations to my church's food pantry, food drives, and buy groceries for my friends, despite my rather limited means. If this business keeps up, it's going to cost me a damn mint! Besides, it's just plain stupid, and making our country look bad abroad.

We elected them and are paying the Congress to work for us. They have chosen not to do so. A vacation long-scheduled in a national park, clinical trials which may be needed for my cancer-stricken husband, research for better treatment for cancer-stricken patients, our children's education, and a myriad of social safety nets are in peril. No one in any elected office should be able to harm the people in this fashion. Stop the cuts, pass the budget, raise the debt limit. Now.