Imagine you had a job where you could go to your boss and say, "in two years, I want to have another job, so I'm going to spend all my time trying to get it, and use your resources to help me. I won't have any time to do this job, but you need to keep paying me, too."
If you or I tried that, we'd be shown the door without further ado.
But for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and several other would-be presidents, it's "business" as usual.
Does anyone think about that? Apparently not.
It's bad enough that those who "do the people's business" spend half their time raising funds and campaigning for re-election to the offices they hold. But when the Presidential Bug bites, those infected drop all pretense of doing what we are supposedly paying them to do and become full-time, taxpayer-supported candidates. Welfare cases on a grand scale, so to speak.
It's clear something has to be done about this.
For starters, I suggest a semi-annual "performance review," which tells constituents exactly what these clowns accomplished during the previous six months.
After that, since we are paying their salaries (and paying for incredible perks), we have a right to demand that they show up at the office a minimum of 40 hours each week, 49 weeks a year. If it takes making the spoiled brats punch a time clock, so be it.
If anyone wants to run for higher office and campaign virtually full-time, make them resign their current office, just as someone in the private sector would have to do.
And, since political campaigning has become obscenely expensive and rife with corruption, let all would-be candidates have enough money to produce one booklet outlining their views, which would be distributed to all voters. Let them have, say, three televised debates with their opponents, and let them give speeches wherever they can go on their own nickel.
In fact, I suggest a simple new law: no one shall begin campaigning for any political office until 60 days prior to the election for that office.
Wait. I have a better idea: disqualify anyone who wants an elective office from holding it. Let's have a "draft" instead, and get some truly bright and accomplished people into government for single four-year terms. We can give them housing, food and clothes plus a small stipend. Just like the military.
And when their four years of service are over, they can go back to the real world.
17 hours ago
7 comments:
Great thoughts, of course they are much too sensible to make it in politics...
lz
I think you have some great ideas here. Too bad we the people have no say whatsoever in what they do. They work for us? Yeah, sure they do!
I agree with all. Thomas Jefferson envisioned just such a "citizen legislator"...serve a few years, then return home and let somebody else have a turn. Hasn't quite worked out that way, has it?
I don't care what the politicians tell us every election year about how they're "looking out for our interests", that's bull. They're looking out for THEIR JOBS first and foremost!
Draft 'em off the street? Sure, why not. Look who's there now. How hard could it be?
Actually, I move that the average work week be shortened to 24 hours, three days a week, 42 weeks out of the year. We'd still be working more.
I'd agree, Ms Pajama, except that we always hear how much these clowns want to "work hard to do the people's business." So why deny them the opportunity?
Ah! The Catch-22 of politics! Sheer genius!
I'd take away any pensions and other excessive perks for sure. I'd leave it to the states to put in statutes firing a politician who campaigned during his term except the last thirty or sixty days. However the state wants to do it. It is not the feds' business.
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