EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE. READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE.

545 PEOPLE
By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.

The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red .

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

And provided the voters have the knowledge of what's really going on! That's the problem -- ignorance and apathy on the part of the electorate.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Count me in! I'd love to see all incumbents, regardless of party, voted out of office on principle. We can impose term limits on everyone in Congress without legislation.

The trick will be getting enough of the electorate on the same page.

That's the problem -- ignorance and apathy

Somebody once told me I was ignorant and apathetic... but I don't know and I don't care.

Seriously, as much as it pains me to say it, President Clinton was right about one thing: "It's the economy, stupid" was the right mantra. As long as folks are fat, dumb, and happy (I'm just 2 out of 3.... I'll let you decide which is which ) they will not get off their couches to do what is right. In this case, kicking the bums out... ALL the bums... and starting from scratch is the right thing to do. This should be done all the way from county to federal levels.

Term limits... It's the right thing to do! (well... that AND oatmeal)

As long as folks are fat, dumb, and happy (I'm just 2 out of 3.... I'll let you decide which is which ) they will not get off their couches to do what is right.

Brian's iron law of economics: "People know when they are not eating." Unless and until we apply the brakes and change course, we will find the squeal point of most people. When cable TV and beer become too expensive and kids start going hungry, people will get angry and demand change.

The concern is what change? Will they want Big Brother to take care of them or will they want to return to what made the country great? My fear is they'll choose the former.

Term limits... It's the right thing to do! (well... that AND oatmeal)

Meh...I'm not so sure I want legislated term limits. People must remain cognizant of the goings on in D.C. and vote accordingly. Legislation that puts a two-term limit on congressvermin is too easy, IMO; it allows the electorate to abdicate responsibility for a little while longer.

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." -Plato

While the names and faces would change, the policies wouldn't necessarily change, and the policies are the problem.

Oatmeal: yes!

Good discussion.

I like term limits. The current idea of 'serving' in Congress for life and becoming wealthy doing it is totally contrary to what the FF expected. Even Washington, a landed Southerner was in debt. John Adams couldn't afford to host dignitaries as they had so little money even as President.

The Senate was supposed to be closer to the States needs, but now are just another set of directly elected officials... and the 'elite' ones at that.

And the idea that Congress polls at such a low approval, but so few were voted out, points to some flaw in the current setup.

Just my 2¢.

Ken