Election is all about money. Only the wealthy know enough wealthy people to fund a campaign. This is a problem, for those of us not wealthy. Their lives are completely different. WE NEED TAXPAYER FUNDED ELECTIONS End the process that keeps the millionaires club in power, and keeps the laws skewed in their favor.
It's even simpler than that - poor people don't have the time to run a campaign, or even think about tackling the social and political problems of a country, state, or even city. They are too focused on paying their bills and making sure their family can eat. Rich people can just hire others to take care of their affairs, so they themselves have the time to pursue politics.
No amount of taxpayer support or campaign limits will stop this from being true.
It goes against people's intuitions, but CFR as signed in by President Bush makes it harder for the little guy to win an election. With limits on donations, it is hard to keep up with wealthy politicians who can personally finance a lot of their own campaign.
I think the more interesting question is why are so many of them lawyers (36% of the House in 2009)? As Thomas Jefferson said
"If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour? "
That said, I'd much rather Congress be millionaires than broke people who can't even manage their own finances properly.
Let's start trimming our deficit by reducing the ridiculous salaries and benefits of members of Congress. If they pursued their positions to truley be "public servants", then they should be willing to do it for much less than they are getting.
Oh wait...that would take an act of congress...never mind.
But how? I sit here everyday, listening to stories from my grandparents about how many things have made a turn for the worse over the years. And they're right. This country is completely run on greed and politicians bought out by corporations.
If nothing is done eventually there will be another revolution, but the question is how much longer are we going to sit back and take this s**t before we start to do something about it.
No I didn't. There are smart and dumb people all across the income spectrum. BUT. **Generally** speaking, MANY (not all) poor (low income) people don't have the skills required to deal with complex issues one would face in congress. That's PART of the reason they're low income-- low skills. If you have high skills, you generally are in better paying jobs. and even then, I've run into people who I wonder how they got their jobs in the first place.
Key terms here-- GENERALLY and MANY -- neither of those mean ALL.
I stand by my comment-- I want SMART people with COMMON SENSE in congress irrespective of their income level.
There are plenty of people out there who aren't millionaires not because they don't manage their finances but because they don't get paid with 6 or 7 figure incomes.
What's wrong with inbetween? Middle class America is probably far better at recognizing the needs of the people than either extremes.
Running for Congress takes a full time commitment of several months time and energy during which no paychecks are coming in and there is no guarantee of even receiving one again after election day. Who else but a millionaire can afford to gamble on that kind of scale?
Sorry, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Depending on your defn. of poor, many of them have no clue how to run their own lives let alone a country. Granted, many of those in congress are clueless too- so the fact they got to be millionaires is pretty scary.
That said, SMART people of any income level should be in congress.
So are you saying every elected official manages their lives properly? I think we all the answer is no. Some have indeed managed their financial affairs such that they have become rich, however, there are others that are just born into the wealth.....GW ring any bells??...and that wealth fixes a lot of ailments In fact, if George W weren't a rich family kid would it have been possible that he wouldn't have been able to get the help needed to overcome his alcohol and drug problems???
Really? The US is deep in debt, high unemployment, the economy on the rocks - and all this was done by our wealthy leaders.
I'd be happy to give those people who go paycheck-to-paycheck a chance. I'm sure they understand far more about unemployment and a bad economy than all those rich boys who inherited money from their daddy.
Serious reforms are needed to avert a revolution in my view, no more watered down change, no more half assed measures, no more expansions of the corporate/theocracy/military authoritarianism pretending to be "reform". REAL change and reform, or these things have a way of "self-correcting" themselves.
u2canfailJul 1, 2011Buried
Election is all about money. Only the wealthy know enough wealthy people to fund a campaign. This is a problem, for those of us not wealthy. Their lives are completely different. WE NEED TAXPAYER FUNDED ELECTIONS End the process that keeps the millionaires club in power, and keeps the laws skewed in their favor.
blackjackjesterJul 1, 2011Buried
It's even simpler than that - poor people don't have the time to run a campaign, or even think about tackling the social and political problems of a country, state, or even city. They are too focused on paying their bills and making sure their family can eat. Rich people can just hire others to take care of their affairs, so they themselves have the time to pursue politics.
No amount of taxpayer support or campaign limits will stop this from being true.
benjie25Jul 1, 2011Buried
I'll vote for someone with a PHD in social/economics and has lots of well liked peer reviewed papers.
I've met lots of very smart teachers in college who enjoy what they do and they don't get paid a whole lot.
drich255Jul 1, 2011Buried
It goes against people's intuitions, but CFR as signed in by President Bush makes it harder for the little guy to win an election. With limits on donations, it is hard to keep up with wealthy politicians who can personally finance a lot of their own campaign.
u2canfailJul 2, 2011Buried
I want someone who knows what it is like in the real world. Not a pampered and privileged baffoon, who needs a tax break.
julikJul 1, 2011Buried
The line between Millionaire and broke is pretty wide...
drich255Jul 1, 2011Buried
I want Mr. Smith going to Washington.
u2canfailJul 2, 2011Buried
PS Many broke people manage money very well. They simply do not earn much.
barackalypseJul 1, 2011Buried
I think the more interesting question is why are so many of them lawyers (36% of the House in 2009)? As Thomas Jefferson said
"If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour? "
That said, I'd much rather Congress be millionaires than broke people who can't even manage their own finances properly.
pruthJul 1, 2011Buried
Let's start trimming our deficit by reducing the ridiculous salaries and benefits of members of Congress. If they pursued their positions to truley be "public servants", then they should be willing to do it for much less than they are getting.
Oh wait...that would take an act of congress...never mind.
jeworldJul 1, 2011Buried
But how? I sit here everyday, listening to stories from my grandparents about how many things have made a turn for the worse over the years. And they're right. This country is completely run on greed and politicians bought out by corporations.
If nothing is done eventually there will be another revolution, but the question is how much longer are we going to sit back and take this s**t before we start to do something about it.
unclefireJul 1, 2011Buried
No I didn't. There are smart and dumb people all across the income spectrum. BUT. **Generally** speaking, MANY (not all) poor (low income) people don't have the skills required to deal with complex issues one would face in congress. That's PART of the reason they're low income-- low skills. If you have high skills, you generally are in better paying jobs. and even then, I've run into people who I wonder how they got their jobs in the first place.
Key terms here-- GENERALLY and MANY -- neither of those mean ALL.
I stand by my comment-- I want SMART people with COMMON SENSE in congress irrespective of their income level.
ajajadudeJul 1, 2011Buried
There are plenty of people out there who aren't millionaires not because they don't manage their finances but because they don't get paid with 6 or 7 figure incomes.
What's wrong with inbetween? Middle class America is probably far better at recognizing the needs of the people than either extremes.
GodlessInfidelsJul 1, 2011Buried
We, the rich... government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.
brucealmightyJul 1, 2011Buried
Running for Congress takes a full time commitment of several months time and energy during which no paychecks are coming in and there is no guarantee of even receiving one again after election day. Who else but a millionaire can afford to gamble on that kind of scale?
unclefireJul 1, 2011Buried
Sorry, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Depending on your defn. of poor, many of them have no clue how to run their own lives let alone a country. Granted, many of those in congress are clueless too- so the fact they got to be millionaires is pretty scary.
That said, SMART people of any income level should be in congress.
gspedersonJul 2, 2011Buried
So are you saying every elected official manages their lives properly? I think we all the answer is no. Some have indeed managed their financial affairs such that they have become rich, however, there are others that are just born into the wealth.....GW ring any bells??...and that wealth fixes a lot of ailments In fact, if George W weren't a rich family kid would it have been possible that he wouldn't have been able to get the help needed to overcome his alcohol and drug problems???
raskaliJul 2, 2011Buried
Really? The US is deep in debt, high unemployment, the economy on the rocks - and all this was done by our wealthy leaders.
I'd be happy to give those people who go paycheck-to-paycheck a chance. I'm sure they understand far more about unemployment and a bad economy than all those rich boys who inherited money from their daddy.
luke1h7Jul 1, 2011Buried
thats the f**king point
novenatorJul 1, 2011Buried
Serious reforms are needed to avert a revolution in my view, no more watered down change, no more half assed measures, no more expansions of the corporate/theocracy/military authoritarianism pretending to be "reform". REAL change and reform, or these things have a way of "self-correcting" themselves.