American's are SICK & TIRED of the BS happening in Washington
By flpoolbum
@flpoolbum (2978)
United States
July 25, 2011 10:23pm CST
Let me start of by saying that I am sick and tired of politicians saying that they should run the American Government like a business. This is exactly what House Speaker John Boehner said in his speech tonight. He says that he ran a small business in Ohio and then compared that to the United States Government. I don't know what kind of business you ran Mr. Speaker, but if you ran that business like you are trying to run the government, it is no wonder you now have a different job!
The United States Government IS NOT a business and it can't be treated as such! The job of the Government is to protect and provide services for it's citizens. There is no Board of Directors and no shareholders. For Speaker Boehner, the Governor of my state, Rick Scott or anyone to think the government is a business is A FOOL!
A business needs to make a profit to succeed. Your salary and multimillion dollar campaign contributions show that YOU ARE MAKING A PROFIT, Mr. Speaker. What profit is the American Taxpayer making? In your comparison of the U. S. Government to a business, shouldn't ALL AMERICAN TAXPAYERS BE MAKING AN EQUAL PROFIT? As American Citizens, we would be the share holders. Where are our shareholder checks?
Let me provide a little background of myself. When I was younger, I was a Republican. I supported President Gerald Ford when he ran for President. Although I wasn't happy that he pardoned President Richard Nixon, I agreed with his reasoning. Now, upon reflection, many leaders of both major political parties agree that it was the right thing to do. At some point, I became disappointed and dissatisfied with the Republican Party as they began to care only about the Wealthiest of American's and began to shred through the U. S. Consitution to do whatever they wanted to do. I became an Independent. I was impressed with Senator Barack Obama when he addressed the Democratic Convention in 2004. (I only had tuned in to see Ron Reagan, Jr. speak.) I was telling people back then, that Barack Obama was going to be our next President. I supported him and still believe that he is trying to lead the country in the right direction.
Dispite your best effort to ignore it, Mr. Speaker, the economy is starting to improve. To me, when I see more small businesses starting to open up, I believe that those people along with others agree that things are starting to look up. A new Super Wal-Mart opened up in St. Petersburg last week. A new furniture chain store opened it's doors in Clearwater. These large chain stores and small independent stores are bring hundreds of new jobs to this area. Slowly, things are starting to get better.
However, like most American's, I am getting sick and tired of the endless bickering in Congress with nothing getting accomplished. So I have thought of a few things that we should do to help correct the problem.
Let's start at the top. The Presidency should be limited to one six year term. Most people will agree that any President spends his first term trying to get re-elected to their second term. Let's end this now. give the Office holder one six year term so that they can focus on what is best for the nation and how they, personnally tried to get it done.
Next, let's have some major campaign reform. We, the people of the World, have the advantages of a 24 hour news cycle for both television and the Internet. Eliminate the need to spend hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars running for a political office. Let each candidate create their own website, post their position papers on it and make themselves available to answer questions from the American People and post them online. Let the Candidates debate openly on the Internet and on the television. Allow The League of Women Voters, who have sponsored the Presidential Debates in the past, to come up with a debate format that is free of demands of any political party or special interest. Let individual American Citizens decide who gets elected for office, not special interest groups. The Internet websites of the candidates should be set up by funding by the Government and have NO ADVERTISERS OR SPONSORS. The Candidate's Websites and the The League of Women Voters Public Debates should be the only resources that the candidates should be given. By doing this, every American, whether rich or poor, could have a real shot at getting elected to an office.
Make the running of the Government more transparent! Make every office holder publically responsible to show their exact government salaries and the salaries of each staff member and their office budgets (which should be distributed equally among all members of each branch of Congress) be posted on their internet site. There should be a law in place forbidding any government official to receive ANY TYPE of gift while running for and while in office. Let Congressional Representatives and Senators go back to serving the American Public and NOT special interests. By doing this, people who run for office will do so with the intent to serve the People and not with the intent to get rich.
Get to work setting up a tax system that is fair for all of our individual and business citizens. I don't think it is right for large corporations to pay little or no taxes, cut jobs and close or move their operations out of the country while the Corporate C.E.O.'s get six and seven figure yearly bonuses!
While these ideas may seem to simplistic at first, there is no reason why this can not be accomplished. Image how much money all branches of government will save by not having to provide funding for the current lavish campaigns. Put those saving toward the deficit. I think all of us would be suprised at just how much money we are talking about.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@asyria51 (2861)
• United States
26 Jul 11
You have some very good, and strong points made. Many of which i feel strongly about as well. I agree that campaigns are out of control. My rinky dink town spent close to 100,000 on local elections. That is small potatoes compared to nationally held office, or even state run campaigns.
I wish that more people would use their brains instead of just voting party lines.
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
26 Jul 11
Some excelletn ideas here. Personally we the people of the United States would be so much better off if they took to advice many of the things you have mentioned here. If they would make Web Sites and utilize the Web more when running for office instead of feeling the need to travel everywhere and make us Tax payers pay for it, it would be a lot better, and more money saved. Also they do need to quit playing around and think of all the people they are hurting that made this country what it is today.
Also eliminating some of the Big bonus's for places and offering the money to help out the Economy would be a better bet. Especially when they give out these Big bonus's only to announce the company is going Bankrupt. And then where do we stand? If we would have never bailed out the Banks like others have said and gave the $$ to the American people to help them pay off bills, and save their homes, and such we would be way better off as well.
Personally I think it is way past time for a chance, but not sure what it will ever take for the many in office, and wanting to run for offices can wake up.
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
26 Jul 11
First of all the Country is like a business and the stock holders are the voters. One of the problems with that is you have voters who have nothing invested in the country. 50% of the people pay not Federal Income Tax. and as many as 40% or more get back more money than they have with held from their pay. As to all making an equal profit in this country every one should have the opportunity to make as much money as they can without having the government taking from one group and giving it to another group (redistribution of wealth).
As for the elections lets have the Candidates challenge each other in the debates. Let them challenge the answers and have the person defend their position.
The other thing that should be stopped is the hiring of their family members or having family members hired by other elected officials. If you look at the aids for congressmen and Senators you will see that there are many husband, wives and children working for different congress members. We also need term limits so that you do not get these people who are in office for 30, 40, 50 or more years. the idea was to serve not make it you career.
You have some good ideas but we need to have the people in control and those people have to have a financial stake in the government.
@sharkbiter (382)
• United States
26 Jul 11
You have some very good ideas, maybe you should run for president in the next election. I am personally so sick of all the political BS that I can't even discuss it. Maybe we all need to go to Washington and shake the money trees of congress. They don't want any taxes added to the rich, because it affects their pockets, but they don't consider the people trying to make a living on minimum wage, because their jobs have been cut and it is the only way they can survive. Or what about Social Security, all I hear is they want to cut Social Security and SSDI. Why not get some of the sorry good for nothing people, having more kids to raise their Welfare checks and food stamps, and put them to work.
I see people all the time using food stamps, wearing designer clothing, driving nice expensive cars and SUV's. I can't even afford to have my poor old car normally maintained. Well, I'll stop now, I have said enough!!!!
@ebuscat (5935)
• Philippines
26 Jul 11
For me yes because the Armageddon is near to happened so be good and worship the only true God Jehovah.