Posted on 01/10/2016 5:48:06 AM PST by Kaslin
What is the biggest problem facing Americans? The economy? Unemployment? Terrorism? According to a recent Gallup poll it's our government.
Maybe I should say "the government." For the second year in a row, Gallup pollsters reveal that few think it represents us. Which is sort of a serious problem for what, after all, is supposed to be a "representative government."
Presidential candidate Donald Trump has emphatically declared that our leaders are "stupid" -- to thunderous applause and likely widespread agreement.
Were that the case, it would be far easier to correct: simply replace this bunch of bozos with new people who aren't so bozoish -- or, as Trump would say, "great people, the best people."
The reality, however, is far worse. Oh, sure, the things that politicians in Washington have done for decades indeed appear foolish, ridiculous, brainless, insane -- you pick the word. But that's only from a public perspective, from the vantage point of others, taxpayers, regular people.
Meanwhile, the president and the hifalutin folks in Congress making all those boneheaded moves aren't suffering one whit. They're doing swell. The entire weight of their lack of competence seems to fall not at all upon them, but entirely upon our households, our businesses, our heads.
Sheer stupidity is never that lucky.
We don't have a stupid problem in government; we have an ethical problem. Those entrusted to represent us are, instead, representing themselves. Charged with creating a level playing field where we can all succeed through our own smarts and hard work, our elected officialdom have tilted that field harming us all . . .
. . . except, ahem, THEM. And, of course, politically powerful special interests and their well-connected cronies.
If you have the ear of the political class, or the power to help enrich them or perhaps deliver to them a block of votes to keep their schemes going, your suffering can be ever-so-easily alleviated, and, perhaps, the tax-money spigot can even be turned on to shower you with rewards.
Can you spell Solyndra?
From Washington to our state capitols, the gravy train flows as a constantly rushing river of goodies. For insiders' benefit. Politicians have hiked up their pay, finagled perks, per diems and other bennies, and rewarded themselves with lavish pensions -- while often exempting themselves from paying Social Security taxes. Meanwhile, most Americans lack even a 401K to help save for retirement, much less a pension beyond a meager (and politician-imperiled) Social Security safety net.
If we want legislators to feel what the people feel, let's stop taxing the people lacking pensions and struggling to pay for health insurance to provide lucrative pensions and lifetime healthcare to politicians.
Congress is no longer even required to vote on their automatic pay increases.
And it's not any better in most states. Arkansas legislators were simply handed a 148 percent pay raise last year.
How? In 2014, they placed a measure on the ballot to create an Independent Citizens Commission, which would evaluate pay and decide on any changes. But the word "independent" was a bald-face lie. Legislative leaders chose a majority of the commission, which unsurprisingly then decided that the legislators should be paid better for part-time work than most Arkansans make full-time.
Beware this trick in your state.
And be aware there's a good, common sense way to prevent it. Back in 2012, Alabama voters enacted a constitutional amendment that sets legislative pay at the median household income in the state. Amendment 8 passed with 69 percent support.
Heavens, actually connecting legislators' income with the income of those they're supposed to represent and serve! This needs to happen in every state, and for the Congress.
Transparency? You and I see it as a no-brainer -- the very least we expect from government. But politicians consider it a dirty word.
Again and again, those working for us hide from us their wheelings and dealings, using private emails and personal cell phones, so the public cannot see what's going on. And it's not just Hillary Clinton who has conducted public business privately. Even while her scandal loomed in the headlines, Defense Secretary Ash Carter brazenly did likewise. So has Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The list goes on and on.
Let's change the rules so that those who work for the public, cannot do their -- no, wait -- our business privately.
Lastly, no law should ever be enacted, nor any statute on the books be permitted to stand, which affects the public while exempting politicians. This is basic equal protection of the laws, without which our servants in government become our masters.
Can we count on our elected representatives to rectify their ethical lapses? Not on your life.
We must do it ourselves, using ballot initiatives to put ethics first.
If government had fewer agencies, fewer departments, less authority to regulate, less power to control — it’s stupidity and cupidity would be less of a threat to the American people.
We need to start by shifting power away from DC. Abolishing the 17th Amendment would be one place to start.
Can we count on our elected representatives to rectify their ethical lapses? Not on your life.
Oh, those elected representatives are very aware of their ethical lapses, and they take very seriously their duty to address these lapses. That is why every government employee (at the federal level, I can't speak for state) has to take ethics training at a minimum of once per year. The penalties for a federal employee violating ethics rules are very strict. So, you see, the elected representatives absolute *do* care about ethics.
I liken the situation to that of historic royalty, who would punish "whipping boys" for the transgressions of their children, because they would never lay a hand on their own misbehaving spawn.
Stupidity is the least of our worries and it is easily demonstrated that stupidity has very little to do with how awful our government is. A man who walks into a bank to rob it is first and foremost a criminal, if he tries to escape on foot even though he has severe arthritis in his hips and knees he is ALSO stupid but nonetheless a criminal. Our government is first and foremost a CRIMINAL government. The government may do stupid things occasionally in the act of committing a crime but if you assume what is the actual truth, that the intent was criminal to begin with, then the government is revealed as brilliantly successful. A majority of Americans have voted for criminals over and over again so the real stupidity lies with the voters.
One other point, George W. Bush has been villified by left and right but some years ago it was reported that he was the first president to leave the white house poorer than when he entered it. I don’t know whether that is true but if it is it certainly says a lot. I expect if the truth were known the decimal in Obama’s net worth has moved to the right as rapidly as some of our “conservative” leaders have moved to the left.
Laura Ingrham had maybe the best explanation of Trump’s popularity. Americans are sick of being bullied by government at all levels. Trump is like he older kid on the playground who steps in and kicks the bully’s ass, so they hate him.
Use of private emails should be a felony.
I am with you on that one.
a) Weakens America/AmericansThere are NO counter examples.
b) Distances America's allies
c) Strengthens America's enemies
d) Attacks Christianity
e) Serves islam
f) Harms Israel
Or some combination of the above.
I’m sorry, but we are going to have to start hanging thieves.
There are too many of them and they aren’t afraid of prison.
And when the citizens of a state put a measure on the ballot and vote overwhelmingly for it, 57% in the state of Oregon voted for one man, one woman marriage. The homosexuals took it to court, judge shopped for a homosexual judge and he, one homosexual guy overturned the majority vote of the citizens of Oregon. How the hell are we ever going to stop the courts?
One major thing that would reduce criminal behavior by the “ruling class” would be a requirement for absolute financial disclosure.
I would like to see the DAILY totals of all savings and investments of anyone in public office. That would be a real eye-opener.
Many votes are made in order to enrich politicians, either by bribes or by affecting their stock investments. Even a mutual fund investment can be drastically affected by a single vote. Let’s look behind those curtains and see what’s happening.
And while we’re at it, I’d also like to see where politicians go. Spending a lot of time with lobbyists? Taking luxury vacations at taxpayer expense while pretending it’s for “fact-finding”? (Why are so many facts found in places with nice beaches and restaurants?)
Thus tempting them to take outright bribes unless they are already independently wealthy.
Not by constitutional means. Much of what the left does is extra constitutional and the courts protect the left. The left doesn’t give a damn about the constitution and they will do whatever it takes to have their way. Lincoln called them copperheads. Now a day’s marxists will suffice. They intend to destroy the country. The next president better treat them worse than Lincoln treated the copperheads.
I would also add a ‘sunshine law’. Doing the People’s work, the People should be able to know, hear (or at least read) every meeting, etc. a govt employee attends, makes, etc.
No more smoke-filled, back-room deals, no hiding in the shadows....
Worse.
Worse than we thought.
YES! They call themselves “Public Servants.” Well lets put the “public” back in the equation.
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