A Revolutionary Idea to give the power back to the people And for the Dems to make a clean sweep of both the House and the Senate this year. We need to get together on this.
I HAVE UPDATED SECTION 'D'
More below the fold...
Since Lobbyists seem to be able to write the actual language in bills to be put forward on the house floor, I propose we write
our own language to be put forward by some brave, principled Dems to make the first serious attempt to jam this wholesale special interest ownership of our government right down the Rethugs throats. Our own version of the BS "Contract for America" that the Rethugs swept the house with in '94. The Country is ripe for this right now, and the people of this country are disgusted.
I propose that we write a proposal that is SO REVOLUTIONARY that it put's the Dems squarely on the side of the people. I know that this sort of language would have less than a snowball's chance in hell of actually being passed. That is the beauty of it though, this language needs to be so straight forward that it puts the Rethugs into Doublespeek mode that is so blatant that even Ma and Pa middle America can understand it, and keeps the Rethugs defending a system of Government that is clearly not representative of the People.
Below I have written some "starter language" just to get things going. I challenge all of the D-Koz membership to take this "starter language" that I have written below and rip it apart, add to it, strip stuff out of it, rearrange it, CONSTRUCT IT. Help me out folks. How good are we at this? what would WE do if we were in office? The system is totally corrupt. From top to bottom.
Survival in the current system for ANY legislators involves doing some pretty dubious stuff just to stay in office, and at best limits access of the people to their representatives because the elected officials have to make decisions all day on whether they will return a call to someone that holds campaign funds in there pockets, or a phone call back to someone in they're district that needs they're help. So even when we do win back the house, in order to stay in power, we will someday find ourselves in these same kinds of scandals. the whole system needs to be flushed down the toilet and recreated. I don't think there will be any better opportunity in the forseeable future than right now to get some REAL changes done.
But like I said, at WORST, this would put the Rethugs in the position of defending a system that doesn't work in an election year.
So help me out people. I am a 44yr old Live Sound Engineer, not a lawyer or a politician. I have no idea how to properly write this kind of stuff. So I need your help, America needs your help.
THE CITIZENS GOVT REFORM ACT of 2006
Publicly funded elections
a.)ALL federal elections will be paid for by the Citizens. Candidates will no longer be allowed to raise money on their own for campaign funds, or accept donations from outside entities or lobbyists. Elected Officials will no longer be forced to prioritize their Access to their constituants or lobbyists based on the necessity to raise Campaign Funds. This will force our elected officials to create and vote on legislation that is beneficial to their constituants instead of special interests, and money will no longer mean free speech. Our elected Officials will now be lobbying their constituants based on performance instead of the other way around. In order to stay in office, our representatives will have to work for the people.
Tax Deductible Private Donations
b.)Tax deductible donations by the Citizens of the United States to pay for all federal elections. An automatic Payroll deduction of $5 per week from Every Citizen of the United States. Each Citizen is also given the opportunity to get an additional 100% Tax Deduction for donations up to $2000 dollars per year to be donated to the Party of their choice.
Free Access to Citizen Owned Airwaves/FCC Changes
c.) The Citizens of the United States own the Airwaves and lease them to Corporations Via the FCC. Why should our representatives have to spend our money to buy time on our airwaves? This corrupts the system and allows special interests an unfair voice. Being that we now live in the digital age with Hundreds of Channels now available. There shall be 4(four) 24hr Channels per party with a total of 32(thirty two) Channels total (4 possible parties) to be used for all Campaign Commercials, Speeches, Debates, and party platform support. Fair and Equal Access to these channels by Challengers to Incumbants during the Campaign Season to be determined. Websites will be used for campaigning as well. C-Span will continue in it's current form at this time.
Realistic Pay for Elected Representatives
d.) This ties elected officials compensation to how the average middle class American is doing.
Presidential salary: 5 x the median annual income
Senatoral salary: 3 x the medial annual income
Representative salary: 2 x the median annual income
A "bonus" structure based on how well those at the bottom are gaining, if the number of americans under the federal poverty level (or some other, more objective measure) is dropping, how affordable a home, health care, higher education is, etc., an extra bonus if the national debt is being reduced or kept low, if social security is fully funded and projected to pay increasing benefits, etc. A metric on each goal will be established, and "Bonus" compensation will be granted as each goal is reached.
Hey, this is the way a lot of people are evaluated on their job performance (at least in theory): you meet or exceed some goals by objective measurements, and you prosper. Why should it be any different for those who purport to run the country?
Why reward them for not making things better?
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Lobbying Reform Provisions for Elected Officials
e.) elected officials would give up the right to work for any lobbying firms for life after holding elected office unless it is for pro bono purposes. This would not infringe on 1st Ammendment Rights for individuals as Law Makers would still have the same individual rights to "Petition The Government" that you aor I do as Individuals. They will however not be barred from working as Campaign Managers or staff, or grassroots organizers or media personalities. This is their sacrifice to hold Government Office. The current system establishes a conflict of interest to the Citizenry that is Legal at this point. The Current System, on it's face, is unfair.
Congressional Travel Reform Provisions
f.) All travel to be funded by the federal government using a Voucher System. All Federaly Elected Officials and their Staff Members would be issued "Vouchers" allowing them "Business Class Seats" or their equivalent. Upgrades to "First Class" status would be allowable using funds from the elected officials pocket or through the use of "Frequent Flyer Miles". This will be fully disclosed as part of a yearly review conducted by the Justice Department.
Gifts
g.) All gifts from constituants to be reported under full disclosure and limits on the value of those gifts to be determined later.
Independant Congressional Ethics and Oversight, Internal Affairs Agency
h.) It is obvious that our current and past track record leaving Congressional Ethical Oversight in the hands of Congress doesn't work. Congress doesn't hold Congress acountable for it's actions. Earmarks, insider contracts, and numerous other "inside Baseball" forms of congressional appropriations of the Citizens Funds has been abused for decades. Given the Deficit, this must stop immediately. At least for the near future, establishment of such an agency needs to be established to de-politicize investigations into violation of established laws concerning ethics violations, and violations of congressional parlimentarian rules. This agency will be formed out of career Law Enforcement Officials from Justice, FBI, and the CBO, or some such combination, in order to not allow Executive Appointments, or Congress itself, to be the personel in charge of selecting who gets investigated. Establishment of such an Agency appears to be critical to thwart corruption and to insure confidence of the American People in their Government. This agency would be established with a "sunset" governing it's existance, and would be an individual issue on all General Elections in the future to be Voted On by the People of the United States not hindered by Party Lines for approval or defeat.
This is just a first thoughts proposal. The main thing is to take the money out of campaigning, and to take the unfair adavantage to access by the professional special interest lobbying firms by making the priority of access to special interests by our elected officials a matter of principle instead of a need to raise millions of dollars on their own just to be able to campaign. I feel that this would completely change the kind of people that would go into politics. They would need to have a desire to govern instead of using it as a corrupt way to gain wealth.