Lobbying/fund raising - WHY DO WE ALLOW THIS AT ALL?

[williesgirl]

The legal purchasing of favor with our elected reps should be changed and NOW. Behind every non-sexual scandal in the recent history of our country is the huge amounts of money raised to buy the votes of the elected. An entire industry exists just to curry favor and we just accept that it should be/remain that way. Shame on us!

You and I couldn't get on the calendars of our officials, but anyone willing to donate to their campaigns and line their pockets can have as much time as the dollar amount warrants. This should be illegal.

Why can't we insist that every Senator and Congressperson's (as well as State/Local officials) daily calendar be on one website that can't be fudged? The full names, company affiliation and discussion topic should be posted. It should be the official's responsibility (not delegated so as to allow that someone else made a mistake/misunderstood) to audit the calendar at the end of each day to make sure it truly reflects their activities that day.

We pay their salaries. We have a right to know who they are meeting with and the topics discussed in those meetings. If they have lunch with John Doe, we should see the receipt showing the official paid his/her own way.

Why do we continue to allow ANY group to give money under ANY circumstance to elected officials at ANY level?

If a so-called "fact finding" trip is really necessary, shouldn't the cost of that trip be paid via the expense report process with receipts and explanations regarding each expenditure? Those reports and receipts should also be posted on contaminant-free website. Every office holder has expense budgets. They should be revised to include every cost of doing the people's business.

Making the process open and easily questioned should help restore integrity to our government. If we can't get today's officials to enact a tough law, then why can't we do write-in's on national/state/local election ballots demanding such. A grass roots effort would catch on quickly and send a resounding message to all that we've had it and won't take it any more.

We should also insist that THE PEOPLE pay for elections so fundraising is no longer necessary nor tolerated. Even if everything were on the up-and-up, the huge amounts of time devoted to fundraising should be diverted to solving our nation's problems.

Comments? Kicks please.

[postulater]

1. Good ideas

Corporatism has overcome the voice of the people and needs to be reigned in.

[JanMichael]

2. Because the rich rule the system?

It benefits who? Them.

[Child_Of_Isis]

3. We pay their salaries.

We have a right to know who they are meeting with and the topics discussed in those meetings.



:yourock:

[FrannyD]

4. Unfortunately

It wouldn't matter how much $ was given. Political Candidates want the money to run a campaign, which these days consists of some slickly produced commercials filled with little more than outright lies. I say unfornately above because people watch these commercials and they beleive this shit. The electorate in America is Stupid. I say if people are gonna beleive the shit and be brainwashed by a 30 second ad, then we deserve this crap, nothing is gonna change unless people wake-up to reality! It would be so easy to beat them at their own game if people used a little common sense.