"Revolution"

In America today, it is time. Time to stop the politics as usual and demand a change in the way in which our elected officials conduct themselves to our detriment.

It is time to cease the partisan bickering which has this nation so divided, so mired in debt, that we cannot even imagine being solvent again.

It is time to cut the staffs and office allowances of ALL Congress persons and Senators.

It is time to stop all Congressional and Senatorial pay until such time as they have produced a budget.

It is time to stop subsidizing the Senate Cafeteria, where lawmakers earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year have their meals subsidized by your tax dollars, as they debate whether or not to fund school lunch programs for the needy.

It is time to end the Health Care Debate and make available to all Americans the healthcare which our elected officials enjoy. With the bureaucracy already in place, this is a no-brainer. Any other proposals are just smoke and mirrors.

It is time to clean house in Washington, where Congress gets an automatic raise each year, unless they vote against it. (See the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, which took 203 years to ratify.)

It is time to stop Cost of Living increases for Senators and Congress persons while the elderly and disabled, subsisting on far less money, are denied the same.

It is time to draw a line in the sand, not just with the terrorists abroad, but also the homegrown ones in the Tea Party, who are empowered by the apathy of those who are presently in power.

It is time for the People (remember them?) to take back America. We don't want to change the Constitution, just the folks who are administering it so ineptly. I was born in a country that was the richest on the planet, yet today we are one of the largest debtor nations in the world.

It is time for action, yet also a time for restraint. We do not want to burn cars in the street, like the French, but we can. And so we demand an end to the gridlock which has seized the minds of our representatives in Washington. And we demand it now, not after next year’s election.

So, let's begin with a massive phone campaign to our individual representatives in the nation's capital. Below are the links for you to obtain the phone numbers of your Congress person and Senators. I strongly urge you to call them and hear for yourself the ignorance and detachment with which your call is received. And as you interact with these people, remember that you pay them. That's right, the Congress person gets about $189,000 per year from you, but you also pay the cost of each of the people you speak with on the phone. With most Senators maintaining several offices, all staffed by professionals, even with the help of some volunteers, the cost is staggering! And many of the most incompetent staffers are relatives and friends of the elected officials. At one time this was called Nepotism.

Let them know that you will stay away from the polls next year. Let every politician in America become a member of a government elected by a minority of its citizens. Let them walk on eggshells, knowing that their legitimacy is a facade.

I am open to any and all ideas, which will kick these people in the rear end and get them going, or get them gone.

For your Congress person's contact information go to;
http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/

For your Senator's contact information go to;
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Don't Tread On Me!

I called the offices of Mitch McConnell, the Senator from Kentucky, this morning with a simple question about the budget impasse. Since he is leading the charge, I thought it would be illuminating to ask about the thought process behind the Senator's obstructionist position on the looming budget default, including the comment by some Republicans that they "don't care if it destroys this nation." (Charlotte Observer Forum- July 12th- Ted Hayes)

With the deadline coming faster than a freight train I wanted some answers to simple questions, like what would be shut down, etc. After 7 calls to Senator McConnell's 7 different offices, all of which we pay for, I got no further than an "I don't know" from the Washington Office. This was better than the "I'm not sure" that I received at 3 of his other offices. Remember, we pay these people.

Calling the White House was an equally frustrating experience. After 6 calls, during which I was sent repeatedly to the Comment Line, which I specifically asked to NOT be connected, I was HUNG UP on, twice!

With Congressional members carrying guns, a White House staffed by people so ill informed that it makes you sick, and the audacity of politicians of both parties in their treatment of their constituents, who just happen to be their bosses, it is no wonder that so many people are losing faith in America.

Notice to Mitch McConnell and President Obama; your mutual lack of leadership, coupled with an unwillingness to compromise on anything, along with the complete lack of compassion for the average American, has set the tone for political change in America. It will not be business as usual during next years election. We will not tolerate the mindset of voting for the "lesser evil" anymore. We, the People, demand real change, and we need it now. You may have the tanks, but you don't have our hearts and minds anymore than you do the people of Iraq or Afghanistan. You have forfeited the honor of serving the People. And you have, in effect, forfeited your own honor as well.