A Political System Corrupted

Nowhere in the United States Constitution does it say that a individuals finances are the basic requirement for any political office. Yet, today more than in any other time in our history elections are won and lost solely on the bases of monetary strengths. Ideas, concepts, platforms, and solutions all take a so called back seat when a person is running for elected office.

The main stream media is mostly to blame for a political system that has evolved to a state of almost total corruption. A perfect example of this occurred in 1996 when a major newspaper informed a candidate who by the way filed with the Federal Election Commission, obtained the necessary signatures to qualify to be included on state-wide ballots and yet was excluded from every major newspaper, state-wide debates and all other functions involved in the electoral process just because their net worth didn’t meet their criteria. When elections are based solely on monetary wealth the general public looses out. No longer are the elected officials looking out for their constituents best interest but instead are seeking more monetary compensation just to stay in office. This only gives rise to a system of government that is so far removed from the public they are sworn to serve.

The best examples of this was the health care and more recently the debt ceiling debate. The United States Congress just can’t see beyond the piles of monetary favors that insurance lobbyists are throwing. All over America business are struggling to stay afloat. To impose fees and penalties on American citizens and business proves just how out of touch our elected officials really are. Money and power have corrupted the American Democratic process to a point of almost no return. The American people are left to dwell in a perpetual state of inequality, a broken economic structure, and a system of government that continues to ignore the needs of it’s citizens.

If the United States has any hope of restoring this nation to that of which our founding fathers envisioned total reform has to happen. To continue to have state and federal officials being bought and paid for a government of the people and by the people ceases to exist.

The first step in reform is for every American citizen to realize that the only way is for the mass media to give every political candidate free equal advertising time and exposure two months prior to any election. The media already has enough paid sponsors to cover any loss of revenue that candidates now are required to pay. The media also compensates by raising the fees candidates pay for advertising. By eliminating the vast amounts of funds now needed to seek elected office this would give any individual who seeks public service a more equal opportunity to do so. This would start to reverse the need for garnishing hordes of revenue and monetary compensation that now buy political favors from every elected official at all levels of government. Thus the United States will start to regain the equality among all Americans and in doing so will improve everyone’s quality of life.


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