Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Seniority in Congress and representatives like Doug Lamborn…

Inside pundits and party officials believe that you have to have political “experience” to be effective in elected office. They never clarify what that means in detail. Experience is usually described as having held office before, or being connected in the party apparatus. They never talk about the fact for example how Doug Lamborn (or other “career” politicians) have never held a job that has had a budget, employees, paid taxes, or had to work within or around regulations, say, like I have. That is not relevant if they have been a good party soldier.

I am the first to agree that experience is better than a degree any day. But what we have to look at is the results of that experience - not just the length of service. As the Republican and Democratic parties argue how independents are a “risk” for chairmanships and key roles in the government, they never point to results. Here are the results of the “experienced” and “career” politicians I have observed:

• Social Security is going bankrupt and being used to offset the real budget shortfall the federal government is running. No urgency here.
• Energy “policy” has been ignored - so now because of the “experienced” members of congress’ inaction, we now enjoy another crisis created by them, who now say they are the right people to fix it. Really?
• The inner city and minority communities are worse off than ever because of the programs of “career” politicians. It is criminal in my opinion to have spent trillions and the problem is worse. When will a new approach be tried by this group of “experienced” social engineers?
• The public education in this country has been hijacked by unions and special interests with the help of “experienced” politicians. The department of education funds need to be sent back to the states where they belong. I don’t want to cut education, because my experience tells me it is the answer to poverty, I just want the people closest to the community to have the funds they need to provide a quality education. Not a one size fits all approach. But I don’t have the experience to know this I guess.
• The federal “budget” is a disgrace. The economic ignorance is embarrassing because politicians like Doug Lamborn have never had to run a business within a budget. A budget is a foreign concept to most “career” politicians.
• Border Security is being ignored while our “career” politicians allow border agents to be assaulted and thrown in jail for shooting criminals in the arse. The fed sides with corrupt Mexican officials over our own American soldiers. And they act powerless? They are the US Congress in charge of securing our border; make it your issue dangit!
• Our military is the greatest most stabilizing institution in the world allowing for free trade to be conducted between the nations of the world, and yet our democratic “career” politicians continue to despise it and cut its funding whenever they can to divert funds that create jobs to put into failed social programs that suck the hope out of; New Orleans, LA, Detroit, and other inner cities that resemble third world nations. Never mind they are the defenders of all freedom loving nations in the world. Without them we have nothing.

I could go on forever here. So I ask; if this is what the “experienced” and “career” politicians results are, what is the risk in sending some fresh new blood to congress? We need to focus on results not intentions. The road to hell is paved with good intentions as they say so when will it be time to try a new approach?

We also need people in congress that are willing to passionately work to change the way it operates. Lobbyists, fund raising, selection of committee chairs, length of time in office and in DC, and the transfer of power back to the states where it belongs for most issues need to be addressed and changed. If you agree I say:

Give Congress a Hand; Rich Hand!

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