Introduction and Episode 1: Simple campaign fix

Welcome, everyone, to my commonsense view of our world.  But I have a feeling that if anyone actually reads this so-called blog, it might be determined to be nonsensical or even fantasy. 

What can you expect to find here?  Nothing groundbreaking, that’s for sure.  These weekly installments are just suggestions that I think would be beneficial to our society.  I love this country, and I believe we do many things very well, but I think we can do so much better. 

What gives me the authority to make these suggestions?  The extremely simple answer is birthright.  Everyone lucky enough to be born in a free society has the authority to suggest how they should live and be governed.  That’s not a complete answer either.  No matter where you were born, if you can make it to a free society (legally - uh oh, controversy already), you have the same right to speak your mind about government.  What about me specifically?  I am in no way special.  Most of you know at least one version of me.  For those of you who don’t, I’m a middle-aged, overweight white guy.  I am an extremely adequate husband, a fun uncle, and a bad golfer.  I am not what you would call a smart man, I have an I.Q. of 48, and still able to somewhat manage in college.  It is true that I fought for this country, but that gives my words no more power than a homeless man begging for change.  

Why did I start this blog?  This one is not so simple.  This was supposed to have been a book fifteen years ago.  Since I am afflicted with an acute case of procrastination syndrome, it never materialized.  Plus, as does the nature of man, I have evolved.  Thoughts and feelings change as we grow.  And even as I am emotionally and intellectually stunted, I have grown too, albeit mostly in the belly region.  Beyond all that, I also feel as though we as a society look to the wrong people for solutions.  I’m talking to you, politicians. I do not have the answers, but my hope is that through my suggestions, a spark might ignite an idea in some of you, which could be developed into a policy that could result in real change.  All of us can state what is not working; I mistakenly call this the Thomas Paine affect.  It is very easy to sit back and Monday quarterback.  Anyone can look at me say, “Ray, you’re fat.”  Does that fix me somehow?  How about telling me about a new diet that allows me to eat all the fried chicken I want and still lose weight.  I want those types of solutions.  At the end of the day, complaining and pointing out our faults does very little unless you can provide a solution.  If enough people shared their solutions, we would eventually find a viable solution.  That, my friends, is science.  That is why this blog exists, so y’all can fix it.  I have zero faith in politicians doing anything that does not benefit them personally. 

Before I rage on against politicians, I should state what I believe our government should do.  Don’t worry, it’s not much.  This a very broad and obscenely simple answer.

            The federal government should keep us safe from foreign and domestic threats.

            The federal government should ensure our civil liberties are protected.

            The federal government should ensure our infrastructure is up to snuff.

            State governments should provide a basic education.

            Both federal and state governments should settle disputes with our neighbors.

            Finally, both governments should pick someone up when they fall.

Now I know there are some other tasks that should be left to the government, but for the sake of brevity, these are my top six.  Let me know what you think our government should or should not be responsible for.  I am a firm believer that the more opinions you hear, the better you are to understanding your fellow man.  

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get to this week’s topic: elected officials.  Mainly our representatives.  Enjoy.

            One of the oddest things I find in our great nation is how we reward mediocrity.  I am not talking about a “trophy for every participant” culture.  We might get to that later.  I am referring to our elected officials.  Just sit back and think about the work that gets done by our elected officials.  I am sure that did not take long at all.  Now think about how much we pay said elected officials.  I am also sure it probably pisses you off.  Just lowballing here, senators make around $170,000 a year and required to work roughly 140 days.  Compare that to rest of us schmucks who work around 240 days for an average of $60,000.  On top of that, they have the gall to claim that they are servants of the people.  So, let me ask you this - who in their right mind would pay their servants over a hundred grand more a year than they make?

            Before we get to my commonsense solution, let’s discuss what these people do.  The easy answer is they grandstand about some sort of outrage that is currently in vogue.  Then they will form a committee to investigate the cause of this outrage.  Then we will not hear about it for a few weeks, then it’s back to the grandstanding.  Apart from talking about “real” issues that concern us, these elected officials spend most of our taxpaying hours fundraising.  Depending on the source, it is between 4 and 6 hours a day.  That is right, instead of doing a job we sent them to do, they spend half their time trying to raise money so they can convince us to send them back.  Simply put, they are either spending their time talking about problems they cannot or will not fix or trying to get reelected. 

            You may be wondering, why is their pay a problem?  It is a problem because they have lost touch with the people they are serving.  The same can be said for most actors and athletes.  More so for actors.  The rich and powerful do not know what it is like living paycheck to paycheck.  They do not know what it is like to sacrifice for their families.  Sure, some of the elite had humble beginnings and pulled themselves up, but I maintain that they are so far removed from that past and that they have no idea what the daily grind really means.  Then again, I have no idea what it is like begging for money all day either. 

            My commonsense solution is simple: our representative salaries should be based on the people they represent.  If the mean income of a district is $80,000, then that is what the elected official should be paid.  Likewise, if it is $35,000.  This would ensure that these so-called servants of the people would actually resemble the people.  It is my belief that if a senator or congressman wanted more money, then he/she would work hard in that everyone they represent would become more successful.  In return we would be grateful that someone is working and fighting hard for our best interest.  

            The “bottom line” is a term I will use throughout this blog.  And the bottom line here is, we need bright, imaginative people representing us.  I am not referring to an “ends justifying the means” mentality.  We do not want our representatives to lie, cheat, or steal to help us succeed either.  We want someone who. like us, will work hard and really have our best interests at heart.  Now do not get me wrong, I am sure there are some politicians who really want to make a significant change, for better or worse.  But I feel that they are the minority.  One way to change that is to knock them down a peg. 

            Detractors will say that they need the high income to afford housing in their own state and in D.C.  I say we provide housing in D.C.  We buy a few apartment buildings with 1,2, and 3 bedrooms and let them stay there.  There could even be a discussion about throwing in utilities, cable not included (we are of course not made of money).  There is an upside to Democrats and Republicans living together.  Living in proximity could give the two opposing sides a chance to find common ground.    Instead of looking at one another as the enemy, they could realize that they are neighbors just with a different view of the world.  While I may have a jaded view of the people running our government, I want to believe that they want the best for our country.  We must believe this, otherwise what does it really matter.  At the same time, it is time for our government to work for us, not the other way around. 

            Saying all that, I do believe that mayors, governors, and the president deserves the pay they receive.  It is up to them to make the tough decisions and everything ultimately falls on them.

            There are three things the government is good at: fighting wars (albeit not in the most economical fashion), dividing Americans by distracting us with class warfare and race relations, and fundraising for campaigns.  Why is so much money spent on campaigning?  Has anyone ever been swayed by a campaign commercial?  I hope not.  If Ford or Chevy puts out an ad claiming to have the best truck, do you believe it?  No, you do not.  You do some research, give each a test drive, then make an informed decision.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love campaign ads.  The more ridiculous the better.  But I am sick and tired of paying for them, and we all pay for them.  When a politician is spending time fundraising instead doing actual duties, we are in fact paying for ridiculous ads that should have zero value when we make decisions when determining who to vote for.  The same can be said for signs, bumper stickers, and even rallies. 

            Campaign financing has become an issue politicians love to claim they want to fix but will never do so.  It is up there with education and immigration.  Lots of talk and no action.  But why should we care?  We should care because of the corruptibility of money.  There is no way you can convince me, or a large number of free thinkers for that matter, that organizations donate millions of dollars to a campaign without wanting something in return.  Do you really think they believe in a party or a candidate that much?  Do they really believe in the bogus message they spout out about?  Hell no!  The only reason to donate that much money is to get a return on investment.  That is why many of these deep pocket donors donate across the board to Democrats and Republicans.  They are paying for an insurance policy.   An insurance policy that is not made available to us working class Joes and Janets.  Why don’t they care about us?  Because our little contributions mean nothing compared to the millions and millions donated by the ultra-rich.  Who do you think will have a better chance getting a meeting or phone call with a representative - you with your $20 donation or a CEO whose company donated millions?

Another form of campaigning that makes little sense to me is rallies.  Rallies have become popular recently, and President Trump has become a master of them.  I can appreciate the value of creating excitement, but I also believe that they are shallow.  Rallies are great in high school to get the student body revved up before a Friday night football and that’s it.

So, how do we fix it?  We get rid of conventional campaigning.  That’s right, get rid of it.  Each candidate gets three speeches, to be aired on PBS, followed by a series of debates, also on PBS.  Following each debate, a bi-partisan fact check team will post their findings on a government website.  The website should also include the voting records of each candidate (if applicable) along with the reasons why they voted a certain way.  The opposing candidate should also report how they would have voted, accompanied with an explanation.  No fuss, no muss.  PBS is the perfect platform. I am sure some will claim that they are not good speakers or debaters.  That is fine.  Politicians need staffers, and that is where you belong.  Remember, you are not in politics for glory or fame; you are there for the betterment of our country.  It is time the American people choose our representatives, not the top 10% or so. 

So that pretty much sums up the first installment of this, whatever it is.  We need people who want to serve us, representing us.  Not some silver spooned elitist who has family connections that goes back generations.  It does not matter if you got your degrees from Harvard or Delgado Community College, or if you have been slinging paint for the past thirty years, if you have a bright mind and humble disposition, I want you fighting for me.  Political pedigree is something we should be cancelling.  And yes, we will be getting into the cancel culture in a future installment.  Let me know how you would change campaigning, or if you think we should change the pay structure of elected officials.  What about term limits?  I did not bring it up because I don’t believe in them.  If someone is doing a great job, let him or her continue until they don’t.  Like most of these posts will be, the discussion is done at a very macro level.  When we get to education, it will be more of a microanalysis. 

Let me know what I got right, if anything, and go right ahead and blast me for what I got wrong.  You’re not going to hurt my feelings; I’ve been complimented and cussed out at the same tyme.  I will even get the ball rolling.  The writing is not very good; it’s very sophomoric.  It is too long.  In fact, I would be surprised if anyone made it this far.  Congratulations?  I will leave the rest of the criticisms to you.  I will talk to y’all next week.  Before I go, remember to do the 3 things Jimmy V. tells us to do every day.  Semper Fi.