By Andrew RobbinsCSMS Magazine Staff WriterFederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke stated, “The challenges facing the United States, as its 78 million baby boomers retire, should be addressed earlier rather than later. Social Security and Medicare outlays will place a major strain on the Nation’s budget and the economy. Reform of our ‘unsustainable’ entitlement programs should be a priority.” Social Security and Medicare reform suggests reduced benefits, and placing more of the burden on retirees. Washington’s elected had thirty years to prepare for the Baby Boomer Retirement, and apparently, they did nothing. The Federal Treasury collects sufficient money to pay for all retirement benefits. Nevertheless, there is not enough revenue to pay for both retiree benefits and Washington’s Sacred Cows—the Special Interests. Herein lies the dilemma. “We the People” elected representatives to address our needs. However, for a career politician, his/her re-election depends on contributions from special interest groups. Once indebted to these powerful groups, a politician can no longer represent “the people”. Over 300 million live in this country and yet we, mistakenly and repeatedly, re-elect the same few. Washington desperately needs new legislators with fresh, new ideas. It does not need career Senators and Representatives indebted to special interests. Everyone in your community should think about running for office. Washington’s elected enjoy great pay, a secure retirement package, and the best health insurance. This summer I traveled through the Midwest. Along the way, I met several families who were enduring similar hardships. Each was a working-class family with income so low they were facing property tax foreclosure. One man earned his living operating his own dump truck. One set of brakes on the truck was shot, but he could not afford to have them repaired. He told a second fellow, “I’ll teach you how to save money and pain. If you have a toothache in January, when you fetch the pliers from the garage, let them warm up first! When you can’t afford a dentist, all you need is a mirror and pliers.” Another, slightly better off family, had just built a home. They did most of the work themselves. Then, their City’s property tax bill arrived, and they realized they could not afford to live in the home built by their own sweat. Governmental taxing and spending is out of control. Most career politicians are multi-millionaires. How does someone that is rich ever feel the pain and fears of the working class? How do the wealthy represent an ever-increasing population of constituents living hand to mouth? There are more poor people than rich, and there is a simple solution to our representation quandary. Organize, register, and vote. Regardless of party affiliation, vote for candidates who have served less than six years in office. If your elected representative or Senators cannot accomplish their agenda in six-years, they will never accomplish “The People’s Agenda” as career politicians. In political life, career legislators depend on contributions to fund their re-elections. In this co-dependency position, they can no longer represent your family’s best interests. Every action they take, and every decision they make, will be tempered by thought of its impact on their contributors. Media corporations ardently attempt to sway the voting public. The “readers” of the national news, called “anchors” by their employers, make more money in one month than most families of four earn in a lifetime. In general, news and political reporting tend to be unreliable, for they are first filtered by consideration of advertising revenues. Our country needs a change in leadership. If our citizens, regardless of their race or ethnicity, would vote as one, voting only for those who have served less than six years in Washington, we could achieve that change. For your family’s sake, vote for candidates who will stand for “We the People”.Note: Andrew Robbins is the author of It Took My Breath Away: One Man’s Experience May Save Your Life.Also see terrorism takes many forms: https://csmsmagazine.org/news.php?pg=20061008I292
The Powerful Voice of Your Vote: Six-Years and Out
