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Since the beginning of the 21st century our leaders have put us in a very deep hole. We have had countless broken promises and flowery words that would make William Shakespeare proud. Some “leaders” have done more to help themselves than they have given back to our nation.
Congress has an approval rating of just 10% and Trump stands at a mere 36%. We need to stop being chumps. We have to stop supporting those who fail to support us.
We do not need new radical politicians, like the Democratic Socialists. We need to take “radical measures” with our current and future mainstream politicians. We must demand a “no more lies” style of governing. Compromise is lacking today so nothing happens. Our government has failed to do the basics of its job for the entire 21st century, as I will explain. We can and must change that trajectory.
Bad politicians know the rules and they not only make the rules but know exactly where loop holes in the rules are. So, in order to fight back, you need to go back to the basics – to rewards and punishments. That is as basic as grade school.
We need a mentality of “Do your job or pay the price.” If the average American does not do his or her job they will not “keep” their job. Why should politicians be treated any differently?
I would call the current political era the “Novelty folks, old folks, and rookies” era. In this era we saw a Black president, Black vice president who also tried to become our first female president (including Hillary Clinton), tech billionaires, builders, a brain surgeon, a casino owner, a best-selling author, and a snake oil salesman (I could go on). They all believed they deserve to rule the nation, maybe by divine right.
It is absolutely ridiculous to allow a truck driver to perform heart surgery. And for those naive people who would say heart surgery requires years of learning and training, but Donald Trump can become president, well, I rest my case.
Determining the fate of the nation and world is more important than performing heart surgery. The one who will determine the fate of the nation and world will affect generations of Americans, billions of people. You do the math in comparison to heart surgery. Yet you would still not allow a truck driver to perform that task.
For starters, our guiding light is to treat people like we would like to be treated. God has made us all differently for the wise to appreciate and not try to disintegrate.
If you are sitting at a large table or even a table for four, each of you would have a different view of the room. And you would not have even a clue as to what is behind you. But the person facing you can see everything behind you and guess what, you can see everything behind that person. Diverse views are vital. They can save humanity.
Trust me, the solution is a simple one but all the naysayers would say it can not be done and that I am being too idealistic. Well, they are wrong.
So how do you combat our current broken politics?
When I was in Congress and right before Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House in 1994, all the GOP candidates for Congress signed a so-called “Contract with America.” It was a promise that if elected these candidates would do 10 things in the first 100 days of their mandates or else. Let us emphasize the “or else” part.
We did exactly what we had promised. Some measures we passed were deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, but we did pass those measures. Others were not signed into law by a Democratic president, but we still did our job as members of Congress. Republicans’ truth telling resulted in them controlling Congress after a 40-year hiatus for 12 consecutive years until we had our first novelty candidate elected speaker, a woman, California Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
So, I am not recommending anything that has not been done before. It has been tested and it worked.
We should draw up what we want from our candidates. It can be a very short list of truly needed and doable measures to begin to avert America from the oncoming abyss. If a candidate for Congress does not agree with the proposed contract below then we should seek and vote for someone who will.
As members of Congress...
1. We agree to pay our bills. Balancing the budget is required. We will do whatever to achieve this, which includes tax increases, entitlement reforms, and reduced defense spending.
2. We pass all spending bills on time under Regular Orders.
3. We start to pay down our national debt.
4. We live up to all financial commitments made to the American people and world. This includes always paying the interest on our $39 trillion national debt as well as honoring all entitlement programs in which Americans have contributed to via their lifetime of work: Social Security and Medicare.
5. We tackle at least one domestic project that would dramatically move America forward. That could be immigration reform, student loan reform, healthcare (Medicaid) restructuring, child-care assistance, AI regulations, and working on a “stop enriching yourself with stock trading” measure. We just pick a few of these priorities and vow to pass them.
In this way we enter the “Accountability Era.”
Failure to perform these basic functions of the job in Congress would require a substantial fine of 15% or 20% of a member’s adjusted gross income. This allows those living paycheck to paycheck to be hit in the same manner as the mega millionaire members of Congress.
If you do not accomplish at least three of these measures for two consecutive terms you would pledge to not seek re-election as a House member the following year. Or for a senator, if you fail for four consecutive years, you would promise to resign from the Senate and be replaced immediately by your state’s governor.
We need the best and brightest in their prime to govern us with honesty and integrity, but most importantly, with a sense of urgency and duty to our nation.
We should make government work for the people, or else...
Gary Franks served three terms as a congressman from Connecticut’s 5th District. He was the first Black conservative elected to Congress and first Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years. Host: Podcast “We Speak Frankly” www.garyfranksphilanthropy.org