Government For The People

To the Editor:

Let’s try this…

1) WE THE PEOPLE have elected you as our representative within our National Government. Therefore, we expect you to represent us. Unfortunately, you receive significant amounts of money from others, who wish to influence your actions as our representatives. Therefore,

WE THE PEOPLE insist the US Congress fully overhaul campaign finance rules to end the “Era of the Best Government Money Can Buy.” This is the root of most governmental problems. This may require you to establish and empower a bipartisan group outside of Congress, since you have been unwilling to create true campaign finance reform yourselves.

If you do not take action on this, we will publicize your failure and vote you out of office.

2) WE THE PEOPLE must live with the Social Security/Medicare system, and whatever health care and pension plans you allow us to have. You also change these very complex rules so we cannot even plan for retirement effectively. Therefore,

WE THE PEOPLE insist that our elected representatives live with the same health care, retirement plans, and rules you have provided for us. How can you truly assess the plans you arrange for us when you have given yourselves special rich plans worthy of royalty?

If you do not take action on this, we will publicize your failure and vote you out of office.

3) WE THE PEOPLE insist funds donated for Presidential Libraries be used only for the facility, its contents and maintenance, not for the personal use (such as travel, etc) of the retired President. These donations can too easily be used as “Thank Yous” for earlier decisions. Retired Presidents are already well compensated.

Harry Truman refused to accept speaking fees after he left office believing it was inappropriate to receive personal gain based on his public service. Bill Clinton has earned over $40 million in speaking/consulting fees since leaving office. This is not healthy since these fees can also be used as “Thank Yous” for earlier decisions.

Note: This is not about political affiliation. It is about giving government back to the people being governed. As long as these fundamental money issues remain unchanged, we will continue to have the “Best Government Money Can Buy.” The rules must be changed so that our elected officials return to representing the people who elected them, rather than those who financed them.

Feel free to edit this and send it to your congressmen/senators (www3.capwiz.com/afanet/dbq/officials/), friends, media and letters to the editor. Let’s start a grass roots ground swell to put our elected officials on notice that we want our government to represent us, not large money donors. Perhaps, then we can once again have a Government For The People.

Raymond Ruzek

17 Maltbie Road, Newtown                                              July 11, 2007