Fixing Washington

Campaigning 181 million dollars on just Ohio is a little excessive. Couldn’t that money be put toward a less self-gratifying cause? I know a few college students who wouldn’t mind a grant, or scientific research that could use some extra money, or several homeowners who wouldn’t mind some relief. The system needs to change.

Where there is excessive behavior plus astronomical finances, there is inevitable con-artists and public manipulators who have one agenda-themselves. This exploitation of the public has happened throughout time. Like Rome, like the Catholic Church, like any large government, the system has just gotten to that point where Washington’s bloated power grows greed and dishonesty which is now trying to eat its own tail. These political vultures can’t help themselves. They’re drawn to it.

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Seeing these people for who they are is what is so difficult for us because they are the people we had voted for, and because of our political allegiances, we see these low life vultures through rose colored glasses. Money and power breeds corruption, so I say, take the money away.

Did you know the average Congressman, Senator, and Representative makes $174,000 a year. Leaders of these houses make roughly $193,400 a year.
In comparison, at Delta, American, United and Continental, a pilot's top minimum salary is between $156,000 and $167,000 per year.

So, politicians are making more than the people who are safely flying you and your family in a metal tube, with a motor, and 24,000 gallons of jet fuel, to some holiday destination. Not to mention the safety of the millions of people they fly over. Politicians make more than airline captains? Really?

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During the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin considered proposing that elected government officials not be paid for their service. Other Founding Fathers, however, decided otherwise. From 1789 to 1855, members of Congress received only a per diem (daily payment) of $6.00 while in session, except for a period from December 1815 to March 1817, when they received $1,500 a year. Members began receiving an annual salary in 1855, when they were paid $3,000 per year.

It’s unbelievable that they currently write their own pay check. Are they worth the money they earn? No. Unequivocally, no. Earning that much means that they are special. That they, like airline pilots, can do what no one else can do, better. If that ain’t bull crap, I don’t know what is. I say politicians should all earn minimum wage. Period. That’ll weed out the true civil servants. The people who truly care about the people they represent. I know I'm not the first to come up with this, but I sure wish it would happen. And hey, with that kind of across the board pay cut, we could maybe actually put a tiny dent in the deficit. I suppose if the government goes broke, then the political types will have no choice but to be laid off. One can only hope.

The concept of America is good. The current system just leaves the door wide open for dishonest, money hungry individuals. And wow, there needs to be a cap on campaign spending. How about for every dollar they spend on their campaign, they must give a dollar away to charity?

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