Once most of those guys get elected, they forget who and why they are in Washington or our State legislatures; kind of like they are the man behind the curtain in the "Wizard of Oz", meaning that if we can't see them we can't know what they're up to as public servants. It seems that many of them play upon our intelligence to gather election support, then once elected we become too stupid to follow-up on what they are doing with the privilege we "gave" them.
It's amazing to me why we so often hear Washington politicians claim that they are speaking for "the American people", yet most of us never gets polled for our opinions or preferences BEFORE they go renegade when they are behind the political chambers doors. How dare they blame us, the actual American people, for the bad decisions they are making on their own.
Here are a few thoughts I have to let the real American people know who to vote for next time around, and to encourage those who are in office to cut the BS and take their jobs seriously:
I propose that the Daily Kos or some other reputable news source, create and publish a simple spreadsheet-style chart, including the following information:
1) Publicly post the names and salaries all Washington elected and appointed officials, including Congressmen and Senators;
2) List what each one's benefits are for holding the office to which they have been elected;
3) Tell how long they have been a Washington-elected official, and what benefits have been accrued and in which that held to earn those benefits;
4) List all details of their employment benefits, and how much time on the job is required for them to become fully vested;
5) Give their salary history from their State legislature elected positions (if any) up to their current Washington-elected roles;
6) Tell how they voted in support or rejection of the Government shutdown;
7) Tell who is rejecting an increase of the debt ceiling or trying to tack on un-related items to try and force the hands of opposing voters;
8) Tell who is against the Affordable Care Act, and attach links to their comments and voting records on the issue;
9) List for each of these individuals, what measures they have taken or supported to obstruct these most recent and critical Congressional voting matters, which will have a devastating effect on the greater number of American citizens or our economy;
10) Finally, indicate which of these politicians are just being obstinate because they "don't want to be in agreement with President Obama, his Administration, or his supporters.
These are supposed to be Civil Servants, with whom we have given our trust to be responsible for supporting what is BEST for our country, not supporting personal or political cliques. Maybe, if there new laws implemented setting time limits for members of Congress to come to reasonable resolutions across party lines on important issues being put to their vote; and if they couldn't work together to do so, that they would not be allowed to take "session breaks" and their payroll would be suspended until the would get the job done. I believe these ideas would give strong encouragement for our political representatives to do their jobs like the grown-ups we expect them to be when we elect them.
If the rest of us conducted ourselves on our jobs (when we are all working again) like they, we'd be fired. That's what elections are for, aren't they? Let's show them our lack of appreciation in 2014's elections if they can't get it together NOW!.
