I can't wait to vote for a candidate--and I don't care what party he/she belongs to--I am looking for someone who needs to point out the complete insanity of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to get elected to public office.
Money should not be the incentive for
public service. Holding public office is not a get rich scheme, or at
least it shouldn't be.
Why do people have so little faith in government?
Look
at the obscene amount of money that is spent every election season.
Look at the number of millionaires that make up the U.S. Congress. Money
in politics is almost cartoonish! At least it would be if it wasn't so
tragic. And, it harms us all! The first priority for public officials
should be getting money out of our political process. We need more than
lip service. We need reform!
Since I claim to be a lifelong Democrat based on policies, substance, and philosophy,
I can assure you that it is not because I enjoy the countless
emails, phone calls, and advertisements asking for money I don't have.
It is infuriating that candidates require any more from me than my voice
or my vote.
In these difficult days when corporations
pay zero in taxes, the middle class is disappearing, people beg in the
streets, and children go hungry, it is obscene to allow so much money to
be wasted to win favor of potential voters. Do we really want to select
leadership by awarding it to the highest bidder? The process to elect
leaders who represent us in this Republic needs to be fair. Citizens
United needs to be abolished.
We all need to pay our fair share in taxes because taxes support government services that are used by all. Taxes should not be favors for friends, family, and campaign donors.
Nor should religious institutions be exempt from taxes
beyond its normal charitable functions. Religious institutions have
proven they cannot be trusted to keep their beliefs out of
policy-making. That is not what our founding fathers intended as they
proposed a strong separation between church and state. Corruption occurs
when blurring that line. If churches want to be a business rather than a
charity, they too should pay taxes. Simply advancing religion should
not be a reason for tax exemption.
Health care should not bankrupt people. Perhaps some of those campaign billions could be diverted toward making health care affordable for everyone. People are living longer because of the advancements in medicine. That is good, but when so many seniors have to choose over their pharmaceuticals or food on the table, there is a big problem.
Health care decisions should not be made by insurance companies.
Cannabis, a naturally-grown herb which has proven to have health benefits and been used by humans for eons should not be illegal.
Women need to make their own medical care decisions. The idea that politicians decide what is best for women and their families is unthinkable.
Voting is the ONLY option we the people have to turn things around. It will not happen in one, two, or three election cycles, but we voters must be diligent. We have to do better. We have to be informed. It isn't enough to follow the loudest voices, especially in today's climate where lies are treated as truth for the gullible and easily swayed.
We the
people must all do our homework, at the local, state, and federal level.
It is vitally important. We are electing people that affect every
aspect of our lives. We must read and judiciously study the candidates.
We must watch how incumbent politicians vote on all issues. We need to
educate ourselves. With 24-hour news and access to every speech, every
debate, every aspect of a candidate's record, we must ensure that we
know who we are rewarding with our precious vote. Voting is our link to
the democratic system. And it is vitally important.
Democracy
will only work when we the people participate. We can only participate
if we are informed. Change will come, but it has to come from us. We are
the foundation of our democracy. The elected officials merely represent
us. These people are not elite, regal, or royal. They are PUBLIC
SERVANTS.
We need to elect leaders who will truly represent the peoples' interests and not their own. Money should have little to do with it.
Change begins now. We must all be a part of it.
