전에 백악관에 서명관련 해서 가입을 해뒀던 메일로 '대통령 버락 오바마' 의 이름으로 메일이 왔더군요.

----메일 전문----

Hello --

Today, I met a woman named Lyn Lyon. She's a senior citizen from Virginia, and we invited her to the White House because she wrote in to explain why it is so important for all of us to make sure that taxes don't go up on the middle class.

"Let's show the rest of the world we are adults," she said. "Living in a democracy, we can solve our problems by working together."

All of us here in Washington have a little more than a month to find the kind of solution that Lyn describes. If Congress does nothing, every family in America will see their taxes automatically go up at the beginning of next year. A typical middle-class family of four would see its taxes rise by $2,200. That means less money to buy groceries or fill a prescription. It means a tougher choice between paying the rent and paying tuition.

So right now, I'm asking you to join Lyn and thousands of other Americans who are speaking out. Add your voice to this debate, and I'll ask Congress to listen to the people who sent us here to serve.

Tell us why you think it's important to keep taxes from going up on the middle class.

A year ago, during our last fight to protect middle-class families, tens of thousands of working Americans took action. They wrote in to us, and we put their stories on the front page of the White House website. They called, tweeted, and brought in their friends on Facebook -- and sure enough, it worked. Congress listened.

The same thing happened earlier this year, when college students across the country stood up and demanded that Congress keep rates low on student loans. Lawmakers got that message loud and clear.

When enough people get involved, we have a pretty good track record. And that’s important, because this is our biggest challenge yet -- and it's one we can only meet together. I'm going to do my part -- not just by sitting down with CEOs, labor leaders, and leaders in Congress -- but by taking this to the American people. 

I'll go anywhere and do anything it takes until we get this done. But I can't do it alone.

So I'm asking you to join me -- and folks like Lyn. Add your voice to ours, and share your story. Because this debate is too important for Washington to get it wrong.

Will you tell us what $2,000 means to you?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/my2k

Thanks,

President Obama

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간단히 요약을 하자면... 

버지니아에서 사는 'Lyn Lyon' 이라는 여성이 자신에게 편지를 보내와서 백악관에 초대해서 편지내용에 관해 이야기를 나눴다고 합니다.

나눈 이야기의 주제는 '중산층의 세금이 유지되야 하는 이유'

내용인 즉, 내년에 미국 4인가족 기준으로 세금이 $2200 인상이 특별한 일이 없으면 인상이 될 예정인데 이 부분을 반대한다고, 현재의 세율을 유지해달라고.

전에도 이런 적이 있고, 대학생들이 학생대출의 이자를 줄여달라는 것에 대해서도 이런 식으로 의견을 수렴하여 반영하고, 실행했다는 내용.

그리고, 이번에도 그렇게 하기 위해 의견을 물어본다고. 

$2000 달러가 가지는 의미가 어떤지, 세금이 유지되야하는지에 대한 의미를 알려달라고 오바마의 이름으로 직접 메일이 왔더군요.

뭐랄까... 지금 외국에 있는데, 한국에서 벌어지는 일들이 국민들 모르게 슥삭 처리되는게 뭔가 씁쓸한데 

다른 나라인 미국의 대통령에게서 이런 내용의 편지를 받으니 뭔가 묘한 기분...

한국에서도 이런 모습을 볼 수 있을까요-

간단한 3줄 요약

1. 오바마의 이름으로 메일이 와서 읽어봄.

2. 세금인상에 대해 항의가 들어와서 그에 대해 대통령이 진지하게 받아들임.

3. 과거에도 의견수렴을 해서 일을 처리했든, 이번에도 세금 인상문제에 대해서 국민들에게 의견 요청

4. 대한민국 18대 대선은 12월 19일 [!?]