How many servants you know live better than the people that they are serving?

[madmunchie]

Seems contrary right?

Go to Washington DC, where a city of them live. They make a higher salary than most of us, they even can vote themselves raises, they have better health insurance than most of us, (for some of us, they have health insurance when many of their constituents do not) they have better job security than most of us, they definitely have more “perks” than most of us. They go to more parties, have more adoration from their “public”, more corporations wining and dining them. They demand a certain “respect” for the office that they hold, whether or not they themselves deserve it, and they play by different rules as well as laws most of the time to.

When did all of this get so turned upside down? The Politicians are supposed to be “PUBLIC SERVANTS” not Gods, bosses, masters….. When did this change? How did we come about accepting it as the norm?????

Until this is righted, our system will never be what it is supposed to be. We should be controlling Washington, yet we sit back and wonder how we could even get one thing on our behalves done.

A total radical makeover has to take place in Washington D.C. –
Term Limits
Total Public Financing of campaigns
A day off for elections to vote
Salary decreases
Health Insurance for the public servants comparable to the least covered amongst us
Transparency
Abolish 90% of “Executive Priviledge”
Decentralize the Media
Flat Taxes
How about giving a test to future voters? Ask them basic questions about the candidates and the state of affairs in our Government before they can vote….oh well, maybe that is going too far, but boy would I like to see that happen for the next election.
No sealed records of any public servant
A 40 hour work week

These are just a few things needed to start fixing our Government, but the first thing is to come to grips with the title of “Public Servant” and hold the elected officials to what those words actually mean!

Who is with me?

[ret5hd]

1. Term limits? No.

Flat taxes? HELL NO!
Poll Test? HELL NO!

Sorry, not with you.

[madmunchie]

3. Flat taxes.....why not? Increase Government revenue and decrease

our tax burden

Poll Test....that was kind of a joke.

[Mojambo]

2. Replace the flat tax with an actual progressive tax and add IRV. n/t

[frazzled]

4. Term limits, flat taxes, poll tests?

Wow ... sounds like maybe you should be voting for Tom Tancredo or something.

Sorry, but these are very conservative positions to be taking. No, I don't want term limits. I don't want to see government employees wages decreased. And what the heck does "executive privilege" have to do with any of this?

[madmunchie]

5. Plenty, executive privilege is another term for "hands off" or "I don't have to

cooperate" or I am hiding information.

Flat tax means saving money for most of us and the wealthy paying more in taxes and getting rid of tax shelters

Poll tests, mostly a joke, although, I am constantly amazaed at how stupid people are about the candidates and Parties for which they are electing. You present them with facts and they look at you like you are speaking another language.

[Hydra]

6. 2 suggestions

Tie salary to working class income. Working class benefits, they benefit. Bribery punishable by dismissal, so they can't supplement their income in that fashion and rep can be recalled if enough people vote to do so.

On the issue of flat taxes, it's not that complicated- the people who shouldn't get tax breaks are and the ones who should aren't. It needs to be re-weighted toward the higher incomes, with more options for write-offs going to incomes lower than $75,000.

[madmunchie]

7. Great suggestions

How about the idea of looking at the politicians like "Public Servants"? to? Where did it all get so turned around.

[Hydra]

8. Because you have to be rich and have extensive contacts to be elected

Given that it's so hard for an ordinary person such as myself to be elected to Congress, it's natural that it has bred such elitism. That's why I argue against lower salaries- if indeed there was a chance for someone like me to be elected, I would need that money as payment for my services.

[madmunchie]

9. Public Financing for all

So that the "elite" are not the only ones with the chance to being a "Public Servant". If you want to serve in the Government, like our soldiers, you shouldn't be looking for a gravy train.