For far too long we citizens have taken a back seat in matters affecting how our country is run. We allow the shortcomings and bad deeds of our elected officials to deter us from participating in the process. Because we have not been good stewards of the Constitution nor have honored the fights and sacrifices of those before us our nation is worse off today.
At some point in our lives we sit back and wonder what this all means, what is our purpose. While I can not answer those questions I have decided that my responsibility is to do what I can to leave this place a little better off for future generations than the kind of place I inherited. So with that in mind I have decided to post my ideas on how to improve our country in hope that it will spark debate and a sharing of ideas.
Before there can be an honest debate in Congress about solving some of the major problems we face today such as immigration, rising college and medical costs, the challenge of China, etc we need to change our election process for this is the root of the problem. Here is what I propose:
1. It shall be illegal for a candidate for office to accept contributions from residents and businesses outside of the area they will represent. For example, if you are running for congress from the 1st congressional district in your state you can not accept contributions from citizens that do not live and businesses that do not have a location within that district. A congressman represents a district, and his/her sole responsibility is to make decisions that are in the best interest of the people of that district and no one else. Collectively Congress may represent the country, but individually they represent their own districts and the same goes for senators.
2. No elected official shall accept a gift
3. Results from presidential primaries will not be made public until the final polls in the final states closes its doors. Presidential candidates should not be decided by less than a handful of states. Voters in states that do not vote first should feel their vote counts just as much as those that vote first.
4. A constitutional amendment to change election day from Tuesday to Saturday. I am sure it was easier for people to stop what they were doing on a Tuesday and vote in the early days of our nation, but today people rise early for work, work hard all day, and they last thing most people want to do after 5 pm is wait on line to vote. Change the day to Saturday where most people can have all day to cast their ballot.
If these 4 ideas were to become a reality I believe that we would get better representation in our state and federal government, and even more transparency in the decisions that are and are not being made.
I hope that this blog encourages you to get involved, raise and debate ideas, and demand better than what we are getting now. We have an obligation to those that will follow us to not leave them in a worse situation that what we inherited.
Tags: Community Involvement, Election, Elections, Government, Government Change, Politics