Non-violent ways to change things

Our vote is an obvious simple and so American method.

One study suggests there are 515,000 elected positions throughout America. These are local, state, and federal. And most elected positions have hired staffers, so the numbers can be much bigger. But for the sake of a simple start point, let us deal with 500,000 elected positions. Again these are local, state, and federal. And positions can be city and county commissioner, school board members, members of Congress, or even the Governor or President.

To change things let’s:
1) Vote out 10% of the fellow Americans running for office in 2008 at all levels, local, state, and federal. When in the voting booth, vote out 10% of the incumbents. This will send a message about change to recognize America has changed, and needs “sane” leaders that recognize this. This amounts to 50,000 elected positions.
2) Vote out 25% of the fellow Americans running for office in 2010 at all levels, local, state, and federal. This will clear out the deadwood that did not get the message in 2008, or did not care, or worry that their status quo world has changed. This amounts to 125,000 positions.
3) Vote out 50% of the fellow Americans running for office in 2012 at all levels, local, state, and federal. Otherwise we Americans are still stuck with the last of the surviving political dinosaurs trying to solve tomorrow’s American problems with their old politics and methods. This amounts to 250,000 positions.

New buzzwords should enter American political dialogue, like “doing more with less”, or “performance based budgeting”. Even “benign neglect” may come back in foreign policy as a discussable option. What is so silly, is these are repeats of buzzwords from an earlier time. And the rise of one or two new National Parties will help this voter revolt along (I would call it a change in direction). And not that the rise of new National Parties needs help because the present National Parties are so ensconced in the present status quo and political power they and their staffs are dragging our Country down. They are so status quo and not “getting the message”. I wonder what Hoover and fellow politicians were thinking when he ran for President circa 1927.

Probably the coming hard times will make change happen anyway. In this case, what is so objectionable is others being in charge of our future, as in financiers, Allies, and the old time dinosaur politicians. Especially objectionable is to recognize already in March of 2008, “our Congress” is moving to have we taxpayers paying with our work and taxes to pay the losses in the present financial mess, while the financiers still make money. If this is happening, then change is due. And votes beat pitchforks in the streets in America.

In America, commonality and incentive are so American terms. So let us apply it to our federal Congress and Executive, to include hired staffers. Much as in the Contract with America idea from the 1994 election, let us apply the military retirement rules and medical benefit program (called Champus) to our Congress and Executive, to include hired staffers, and make it retroactive to all, retired and active. One way or another, this should provide incentive for change. If it is good enough for our military, it should be good enough for our Congress, Executive, and their vast numbers of hired staffers. No exceptions can be allowed, or if they do, then let us vote these dinosaur types out of office and jobs.

A key point is that spending is and has been out of control for all kinds of reasons, to include rising national wealth, rising property taxes, rising income taxes, our votes (and being pandered to as well as fear prompted votes by seniors), and a sincere desire to form a more perfect union, as in some kind of grand American socialist English commune scheme from the the 19th century, or even the hippies in the 20th century. All this has been without some kind of basic performance accountability, to include standards. Now that the birds may be coming home to roost, we Americans still want to and need to find and elect politicians that act in our National Interests. The present crop is not good enough, though one must be careful as many communities and States and fellow citizens should be applauded for their good performance to date.