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On the eve of a catastrophe as large as the Great Depression, our public servants are handling a bill larger than the Social Security Act of 1935 and it’s politics as usual. Sure, they are acting with more urgency, however, it’s still a chess match as to which party can claim credit for the “save”; meanwhile, the American economy is hanging in the balance. Democrats want to give the money for the bail out while slipping in some goodies for the “folks” and Republicans want to loan the money to preserve the “free market” that got us into the mess we are in today.

 Imagine this: If you and I, two “average Joes”, were considering this bill right now, don’t you think we could come to a compromise? Loan a little, give a little. Cut out most of the entitlements and leave a couple in. I mean, duh! The real problem is that we are in an election year and our crooked, power hungry, polarized, self-serving public servants are trying to protect their re-election efforts.  In the meantime, the lobbyists are working around the clock with our politicians trying to make sure their clients aren’t left out of the mix.

Seriously, how fair is a political system that allows large companies to hire other companies to give money to our public servants in an attempt to sway their positions?

Please stop and re-read the last sentence out loud. Is it just me, or is this corruption? Think about this: If today’s congress had to pass a bill as large as the Bill of Rights or the Constitution, like our fore fathers did, do you think they could get the job done? Of course not! Our elected officials have evolved into do-nothing cronies that are self-serving at best, and crooked at worst. Here is my humble opinion of how we can return our politicians to the public servants they were designed to be…

1)      Abolish Lobbyist – Simple. If you are caught giving money to an elected official, or if he or she is caught receiving it, both go to jail. This includes campaigns and political action groups as well.

2)      Term Limits – Four years and you’re out. Public servants do not need time to form alliances in an attempt to “gain power” or relationships with outside interest.

3)      Meager Salary – Politicians should be paid like teachers, poorly. All raises must be voted on by America, their boss.  Perhaps teachers can finally get paid what they’re worth.

4)      Freeze All Assets – No major land or stock purchases can be made during a politician’s service or one year afterwards. One year severance pay should be enough.

5)      Benefits – Their benefits should be EXACTLY the same as teachers and other public servants. After the end of service, they can Cobra just like the rest of us.

6)      Mandatory IQ Test – Self explanatory.

7)      Legacy – They cannot have alliances, or be related to the person who succeeds them.

8)      Campaign Reform – Each representative gets the same amount of money from the government and is allowed to raise a small amount from supporters. Let’s get back to “stump speeches”.

9)      State of the State – Each representative is required to meet with their constituents a certain number of times during the year in an open forum, much like the city councils do.

10 Time Off – If you miss work your pay gets doc’d. Miss too much work, and you’re fired and the runner up in the election takes over.

In closing, this article is about Republicans and Democrats alike. As long as the politicians keep us polarized over party lines we will never be equally represented. Our political system is broken and We the People are the only ones who can fix it. We must hold our representatives accountable and take back Congress, and it all begins with our vote. I urge you to vote for change this election, vote out your incumbents and send a message that we want change.

Aubrey Clark is an Author and editor for Direct Banc, which features a credit card with airmiles directory. Aubrey is a financial expert who has spent over twenty years working and training in financial markets. He current project is an airline miles credit card tutorial for business travelers.

Tags: aig bailout, american economy, bailout, government bailout, mortgage bailout

This entry was posted on Monday, September 29th, 2008 at 3:48 pm and is filed under Opinion.
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