When Will We Ever Learn?

Wrong! Just pure, total wrong!

It is time to put our foot down Americans. It is time that we demand some accountability from our elected officials from the Federal offices on down to the local level.

The congress of the United States of America got a raise this year. And yet that same group has voted to not allow a cost of living increase for social security recipients this year because of the state of the economy and tax revenues.

They along with big business and the rest of us have a share in the blame for the state of the union. They as our elected officials should be leading the way. They should be the first in line to take a cut when times are hard.

Instead of remodeling an office every time a there is a change in its occupant, make what is there do. We the people cannot afford your expensive taste snobbery.

They have medical insurance that the rest of us can only dream of. And even as they plan to put the rest of us on their idea of medical reform, they are keeping their current benefits. Again, they are putting the blasted package together; they need to be the first ones to sign on!

They have retirement that won’t quit after a just a very short time in office. Again they aren’t going to go without. They have protected themselves very well. What about the rest of us. Social Security is going down the tank and most of us will have to work until we die. Again, they should be the first signing up for the program! It is immoral and indecent for them to take care of themselves and leave the rest of twisting in the wind.


And out state legislatures, and federal programs are cutting education dollars, teachers’ salaries, programs for our children’s education left and right. Here again, they should be leading the way. They should be the first to step up and take the pay cuts. Since they were in charge of the system to begin with, they let things get into the condition they are in, they need to be accountable and they need to feel the pain just as bad, if not more than the rest of us do!

And let’s not forget big business. I don’t know how many times I hear of a CEO running a company into the dirt, only to be given a big bonus and severance so they can be put to pasture and hopefully someone else can clean up the mess that they made! Does this strike anyone else as just completely wrong? If a business has been put into the tank by a leader or a group of leaders, they need to feel the pain. Since when do we award bonuses for doing things wrong?

And we the people have a share in the blame. We need to stop electing self serving individuals to represent us. We need to not just vote because they are in our party or not in our party and start voting for someone who will stand up for what is right and not just what is expedient for the next election or the next big fundraiser!

We need to contact companies that are doing it wrong and take our business elsewhere. It is the only method of voting that they will understand!

I keep hearing that we need to pay top dollar to get the best people. I have been hearing that line for a long time. Guess what! It isn’t working! Paying top dollar just attracts greedy people who are looking for, power, money and influence.

Let’s start reducing pay for politicians and executives to the point where you are attracting those who want to serve the public, serve the shareholders and serve the citizens of their community. Instead of serving themselves and their cronies as they have been doing for years now.

We can’t keep going the way we are but at the same time, I don’t believe we can go the way either one of the major parties are trying to take us.

The economy got bad. People all over the world have had to cut back and make do with less. It is time for the politicians to do the same.

You were elected to lead. It is time to lead by example.