“What can one person do?”
One person, in union with enough others, can work wonders. For example, we hear the lament about elected officials, particularly at the national level, not being responsive to their constituents, the people whom they are supposed to represent.
You can change that; and you can do it now -- simply by articulating what you expect of your elected representative, and then measuring his/her performance while in office in terms of how well (or poorly) he or she lived up to those expectations. One person alone may not make much of a difference, but as the Tea Party movement is proving daily, enough people acting in concert can. And everything you need on how to articulate your expectations and measure your Congressperson’s (Senate or Representative) is contained or outlined in the pages below. Your specific group, community, district, etc., may choose to emphasize or de-emphasize certain issues, timelines, etc., but the framework is there for you to modify and adapt as necessary…
The 2010 elections are over, and the hoopla has subsided -- and it's back to business as usual for many of D.C.'s denizens -- or so they think. But is that what you want from Congress -- "business as usual"? If so, stop reading this and go somewhere else. If not, then it's time, right now, to do something about it.
"But what can one person do?" Simple: one person can
1. Take a principled stand;
2. Enlist an ally -- then more allies -- and still more allies.
Pretty soon, you've got a movement going -- a principled movement -- kinda like the Tea Party.
If you want more accountability from your newly elected representatives, here's how:
1. Articulate what you expect of them;
2. Track and measure their performance;
3. Let them know what you think of how they are (or aren't) doing;
4. Grade their performance throughout their term; and
5. Retain or replace them as necessary/appropriate.
Remember, Congress has a very tough job: and many of its members demonstrate that they not only don't even know the very Constitution they swear to "preserve, protect, and defend," but also don't even know how they're supposed to operate or function under that Constitution -- much less keep in mind why they got sent to Congress in the first place. Thus, constituent input, guidance and advice from the people who put them in office, i.e., the voters, can help them stay grounded and focused on their real duties as representatives of those constituents.
And very, very important is the fact that this incoming 112th Congress will have the legitimate authority, under the Constitution, to undo much if not all of the mischief and shenanigans perpetrated by the 111th. In fact, that's how so much of the true progress that this nation has seen in its 234 years has occurred: by correcting bad law and bad policy; by enacting positive, meaningful improvement; and many, many more. And you can help that Congress in that process, as outlined and discussed below. It’s a beginning; and, as with overcoming any long-entrenched power or tradition, improvement doesn't come overnight, but by sustained effort over time.
The following was inspired by Jessica Hughes, a Lufkin, Texas home-school Mom and her Founder’s Alliance (www.thefoundersalliance.org), and by the Tea Party Patriots’ www.contractfromamerica.com national issues list, and represents a compendium of input from thousands of taxpayers, voters, and citizens from across the country during 2009-2010. It outlines, in some depth, what ordinary citizens -- like you -- ought reasonably to declare what you want and expect of those who claim to want to represent you in the upcoming 112th Congress.
Those expectations are expressed as a seamless tapestry of commitments that voters have a right to expect of those newly-elected representatives -- and which they expect to see fulfilled. Still, as we all know, Congress has a way of disappointing the voters, and succumbing instead to the blandishments of special interest groups, "horse trading," even outright bribes. The good news is that, by also using the list of expectations as a tracking and measuring tool, we the voters can actually impose accountability, and start getting the kind of representtion we claim to want and need.
This statement of expectations can seem a bit lengthy, but just a glance at the breadth and complexity of Congress' functions and responsibilities, much less the importance and impact of the effects of their decisions and actions, demonstrates the need for such a statement of our expectations and for tracking and measuring their performance.
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December , 2010
Mr/Mrs/Ms
c/o U.S. House of Representatives (or U.S. Senate)
Washington, D.C. 20510-2XXX
Dear :
Congratulations! You have been elected to the 112th U.S. Congress, to represent us, your constituents. Campaigning being what it is these days, there wasn’t opportunity to meet personally with you and/or your staff to discuss why the electorate should choose you and what we expect of you during your term in office.
Campaign promises are now part of the past; performance is what matters. That’s why we, a focused group of your constituents, are providing the enclosed document for your perusal and guidance – and execution. This document lists, in brief, some of the major areas which we feel require the attention of you and your colleagues in this upcoming 112th Congress. It (the document) represents the distillation and synthesis of many months of input from citizens across the country regarding some of the more pressing and important issues with which we will task you and your Congressional colleagues – and against which we will measure both your efforts and your progress during this Congress.
Back here “at home,” a dedicated group of us, your constituents, will monitor and assess whether and how you and your Congressional colleagues address and move to resolve these issues. That monitoring and assessment will affect both how we view your performance, and whether that performance merits your receiving our support regarding another term. It should come as no surprise that each and every member of this incoming Congress will be viewed by the voting public as “on probation” -- regardless of prior service or past performance. The nation’s needs are too great to ignore, and it’s imperative that this incoming Congress begin immediately the process of restoring our country’s greatness and its fiscal integrity and sovereignty, as outlined in the enclosure.
FYI, our names, addresses, and contact information are provided on the reverse of this cover letter. There may be some areas in the enclosure about which you may have questions or reservations; we invite your response. There may be some areas on which you disagree; we will note that – and monitor and assess regardless. You may choose not to respond; we will note that as well, and monitor and assess anyway. As noted above, our country’s needs are too great and too pressing to allow for delay, denial, or refusal to act to preserve, protect, and defend our Constitution and live up to the Declaration of Independence and its ideals, and work toward building the kind of future that is consistent with (and operates strictly within) that same Constitution. We also stand ready to work with you and assist in any way we can to bring the needs, goals, and objectives identified in the enclosure to fruition.
Please direct your response and all subsequent correspondence to our monitoring group coordinator:
Mr/Mrs/MS
XXXX Main Street
Everywhere, USA, XXXXX.
Thank you, and may God bless your efforts.
Monitoring/Assessment Group for th Congressional District,
or
Monitoring/Assessment Group for U.S. Senator,
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National Office/Appointment Candidate’s Commitment to Constituents
As a candidate for the office of , I recognize and affirm the supremacy of our nation’s Constitution as the law of the land, from which the several States’, territories’, possessions’, all lower jurisdictions’ constitutions, charters, and compacts, and all officeholders therein, derive their delegated legitimacy and authority, and with which they are to comply. I further recognize the scope and limitations of that delegated legitimacy and authority, and my own solemn responsibility as a true representative of my constituents’ rights, needs, and guidance. Therefore, I commit to the following:
1: I will not violate the servant-leader trust my constituents place in me.
2: I will preserve, protect, and defend every U.S. constituent’s unalienable rights under the Constitution.
3: I will cherish and defend the Constitution as the law of the land, and the standard against which all legislative, statutory, executive, and/or judicial actions must be measured and evaluated.
4: I will actively oppose any government action which diminishes or abolishes anyone’s Constitutional rights.
5: I will work unceasingly to restore stability and soundness to the U.S. Dollar and the economy – to make the U.S. once again the world’s leading creditor, and no longer its biggest debtor.
6: I will work to restore our schools at all levels to international excellence and prominence.
7: I will work to restore our nation’s manufacturing base – to resume our place as a leading international producer and employer, not merely the world’s biggest consumer.
8: I will work toward instituting/placing term limits on all elected public officials – including myself.
9: I will work toward making the U.S. energy independent – not beholden to any other country or region.
10: I will work toward having peace through strength, with full capability to prevent or respond to any threat or attack, and with both appropriate and strong border defenses and enforced legal immigration policies and practices.
11: All legislation, spending, and reporting shall comport strictly with the Constitution; shall apply equally to all -- including Congress; and shall not contain “earmarks” or other gratuitous or unrelated amendments.
12: I will work toward making the nation’s tax code simpler and fairer for all, so that all share more equitably in honoring their responsibilities as citizens.
13: I will work toward cleaning up the corrupt campaign and election financing and redistricting practices.
At its founding, this fledgling nation consisted of the 13 original States; today, I commit to these 13 pledges. They apply to the most important and pressing issues currently threatening our nation, its survival, its constituents, and its posterity. It is to these and all other issues affecting the rights, protections, and needs of my constituents, and of the future of my country that I will bend my efforts, honestly and fairly, and to the best of my ability. I expect to be held accountable; if I fail to live up to this commitment and these 13 pledges, if I violate your trust, replace or recall me immediately.
As a citizen, I pledge allegiance to The Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And as an officeholder, I also pledge to preserve, protect and defend this Nation, our Flag, and our Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.
Candidate/Officeholder Name Date Office
NOTE: The following pages serve the dual function of providing greater depth to the 13 general commitments outlined above, and serving as a framework around which local constituent groups can assess and evaluate the respective candidates’ performance in office relative to these commitments. Obviously, this framework cannot predict unforeseen emergencies or circumstances, nor can it anticipate shifts in focus on the part of House and Senate leadership – and the Executive Branch -- but it can incorporate them rather easily into the final “report card” at the end of the respective candidates’ term in office.
The assessment and evaluation process is at least as important as the commitment process, simply because it functions as an effective yardstick against which local constituents measure and “grade” their representatives’ performance in office. Because it will entail a fairly high degree of both oversight and detail by the respective local constituents, those local groups should be comprised of a minimum of at least 20 registered voters per electoral district, selected at random without regard to party affiliation, but knowledgeable about both the Declaration of Independence and its history and The Constitution and its history and legislative intent, and researching such sources as the Congressional Record, the incumbents’ complete voting record, his/her public statements (including newsletters and blogs), positions taken, and progress on the issues identified in the signed commitment page, and other pertinent considerations.
These voter groups will likely be active throughout the entire Congressional year, but especially so during the traditional “recess” periods of December-January, and July-August. Although Congress is typically in recess at these times, it’s a perfect opportunity for the local groups not only to summarize the representatives’ performance to date, but also to contact those representatives (both Senators and Representatives) and discuss with them the summaries’ results, talk about unexpected or “surprise” deviations, get a sense of the incumbents’ own performance assessment, learn about shifts in emphasis by House/Senate/White House leadership which may mitigate against (or help advance) progress on certain commitments, etc. It’s also a perfect time to share the voter groups’ findings with the candidates’ constituents.
The tasks taken on by elected federal officials at every level are generally complex, difficult, and vitally important to the future of our Republic – and they need all the help and input we can give them; otherwise they can easily be at the mercy of lobbyists, special interest groups of all kinds, unchecked party “king-makers,” those who would fundamentally transform us into something other than a Republican form of democracy, those who wish to wipe us from the face of the Earth, and others. Oxymoronic as it seems on the surface, the ever-increasing insularity in which today’s representatives of the people operate makes this assessment and evaluation process more needed and important than ever before.
The U.S. Constitution: A Brief Background and Synopsis
In 1787, thirty nine representatives from the original 13 States, many of whom were also signers of the Declaration of Independence, signed the Constitution of the United States of America. That document established the framework under which the citizens, their respective States, and the federal government were to interact, “…in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” A truly radical document, it initiated an equally radical concept, i.e., self-governance (as Lincoln subsequently elaborated, “of the people, by the people, and for the people”) wherein the leaders actually serve, not rule. It would both inspire millions throughout the world, and test the new nation’s will and ability to live up to the ideals identified and contained in the document. Benjamin Franklin, when asked what the framers had actually produced, replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Consider: The Framers, instead of consolidating power unto themselves, specifically and intentionally structured a system whereby citizen-constituents not only elected their representatives, but also instructed them concerning their united ideals, dreams, goals, and aspirations, and limited the representatives’ powers and responsibilities, as follows:
1) The sole legitimate purpose of government is to recognize, uphold, protect, and defend its citizens’ and its legally resident non-citizens’ inalienable rights.
2) These rights include, but are not limited to: Life and the right to defend it; Liberty and the right to exercise it without infringing upon the rights of others; and Private Property and the right to protect and defend it.
3) The U.S. Constitution is the law of the land, intended, crafted and designed to be the single, clear, and permanent statement and codification of:
a) The core principles underpinning this Nation’s founding, its existence, its operation, and its survival;
b) Government’s obligation to preserve, protect, and defend its citizens’ and its legally resident non-citizens’ respective and collective rights and protections; and
c) The mechanism and procedures through which and against which government, via properly constituted and staffed legislative, executive, and judicial branches, carries out that obligation.
4) The Constitution cites, grants, and delegates to the federal government certain and specific powers and responsibilities, viz:
a) In Article I Section 8* -- to the Congress in its capacity as the Legislative Branch of the Republic;
b) In Article II Sections 2 & 3 – to and through the President as head of the Executive Branch of the Republic; and
c) In Article III Section 2 – to and through the Supreme Court as head of the Judicial Branch of the Republic.
5) In Amendments I through X (the Bill of Rights), The Constitution identifies the rights and protections of the Republic’s citizens and its legally resident non-citizens, and the limitations imposed upon both the federal and the state governments with respect to those rights and protections.
6) The Founders’ vision of a limited central government requires that appropriate police and legislative powers be delegated to the most local offices possible, thereby best protecting and securing the rights and protections of both citizens and legally resident non-citizens at all levels.
7) The Constitution does not provide for forcible taking or confiscation and redistribution of private property or wealth to others. It does provide, in Amendment V, that private property may be taken for public use, but only for good cause and with just compensation (the eminent domain “just takings” clause).
8) The powers and responsibilities identified, and granted or delegated to government (including but not limited to those in Article I Section 8, Article II Sections 2 & 3, and Article III Section 2) may not be altered or expanded except via Article V, i.e., the defined Amendment process. Should The Constitution require changing, for this or any other reason, the amendment process is and remains the only acceptable process for so doing.
* (Of note is that the “regulate Commerce” clause in this Article was intended and written by the Framers to mean specifically and only that Congress could ‘make regular’ or standardize the laws of trade between foreign nations and the United States, or between States, or between the Indian Tribes and the United States – not trade itself. Further, it grants no power to Congress to regulate or control trade or business activities contained within those entities’ borders. Regulation of trade itself rested with the States, under Amendment X.)
The Constitution isn’t perfect. It wasn’t in 1787, and it isn’t today -- but it’s still the best ever, anywhere. It has, from time to time, been improved, e.g., Amendments XIII, XIV, XV, and XIX. It has also been used improperly, e.g., Amendments XIV and XVIII -- and Amendments XVI and XVII remain questionable. The Constitution has also been mal-interpreted, mal-applied, and much maligned – and yet it works. Thus is the genius of its Framers that it can withstand political and social fads of the moment like “living, breathing document,” and “negative rights.” As the embodiment and codification of eternal truths and core principles, it remains the bedrock foundation upon which this Republic is based and operates, and is represented universally via The Flag. Ben Franklin’s statement about “a republic, if you can keep it” clearly warned us that internal neglect was a constant and paramount danger. We must not lose this Republic; to paraphrase the original Minutemen, eternal vigilance remains the price of Liberty.
Supplementary Notes on the Respective Pledge Commitments
Pledge #1: I recognize and affirm that, as an officeholder, I will be placed in a position of trust, to function as a “servant-leader” in the true Biblical and Judeo-Christian ethic sense. I recognize the stewardship responsibility that it carries, viz, to represent the truest and best interests of the constituency, for that constituency and to those who elect/appoint me to my position. My first and primary pledge is this: I will not violate that trust.
Pledge #2: At the heart of every position of public trust is the commitment to preserve, protect, and defend the inalienable rights and protections of one’s constituents, including, but not limited to: Life and the right to defend it; Liberty and the right to exercise it without infringing upon the rights of others; and Private property and the right to protect and defend it. My second pledge, then, is to oppose, reject, and if necessary reverse (via at least defunding, and either nullification or outright repeal) any and all legislative, executive, or judicial efforts, whether at the federal, State or lower level, to diminish those rights and protections, or to expand government authority beyond those expressly delegated or established in Article I Section 8, Article II Sections 2 & 3, and Article III Section 2.
Pledge #3: My third pledge is to oppose, reject, and if necessary overturn (via at least defunding, and either nullification or outright repeal) any and all legislative, executive, or judicial efforts at whatever level, to alter or reinterpret the language, intent, or original sense of the U.S. Constitution, and, by extension, subordinate Constitutions, charters, compacts, etc., from the plain language and clear meaning of the text as intended and written at its crafting and signing, except that any such alteration must be achieved only via the Amendment process defined and established in Article V.
Pledge #4: I will support all efforts to reaffirm and re-establish/restore those citizens’ and legally resident non-citizens’ rights and protections which have been diminished or abolished due to government assertion of a power or authority not expressly granted or delegated in the Constitution. Where any such diminutions or abolishments have occurred other than via Article V, e.g., as the result of statute, judiciary opinion, or executive action, such restoration/reaffirmation/re-establishment need not be accomplished via Article V, but may be accomplished via simple Congressional declaration.
Pledge #5: No nation in all of history has ever survived the intentional and prolonged debasement of its currency. I will work toward restoring stability and value to the U.S. Dollar and to our economy. This is crucial to the nation’s survival, and must begin immediately, via at least the following: restoring Glass-Steagall; eliminating all deficit spending; requiring balanced budgets; paying down the national debt; restoring sanity to both our fiscal policy and our monetary policy; funding all unfunded liabilities; ending the practice of creating unfunded mandates; replacing the Fed with a true national bank, or making it more responsive to the electorate; and, where appropriate and necessary for fiscal solvency, repeal, rollback, defunding or nullification of any legislation which violates or endangers the annual budget or our sovereign solvency. It’s a complex and difficult issue, and the above are only starters, but we must start now.
As Madison observed, “Men are not angels.” There will always be those who are only too eager to “game” the fiscal and monetary system for personal gain. We find ourselves at that point where so many have “gamed the system” for so long that the problem has reached critical mass. Some specifics on why the following first steps are needed to begin restoring stability and value to the U.S. Dollar include:
1) Immediate restoration of Glass-Steagall, which (rightly) kept banks, insurance companies, and investment houses separate from one another, due to the tremendous risk of management mischief, but whose total repeal in 1999, following the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 and its modification in 1992 to include Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, was a direct contributing factor to the nation’s current financial crisis;
2) Immediate restoration to the Treasury Department of those functions, responsibilities, and authority lost/given away to the Fed in 1913. Sovereign nations set and run their own fiscal and monetary policies and operations.
3) Eliminate all deficit spending. Article I Section 8 allows Congress to “lay and Collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts, and Excises, to pay the Debts.” But nowhere is deficit spending authorized or even implied, especially a policy of deficit spending. “Borrowing” from tomorrow’s generation may help maintain today’s lifestyle, but this nation’s politicians never repay those “loans.” It’s generational theft, it’s morally reprehensible, and it must stop.
4) States are required by their constitutions to submit, and live within, a balanced budget each year. Honesty, integrity, and knowing the difference between right and wrong dictate that the federal government must, also. Previous attempts, e.g., Gramm-Rudman-Hollings, have been beaten back or ignored, but the need remains.
5) Begin paying down the national debt. It’s currently over $350,000 per capita -- and growing. That’s every individual in the country: every worker, every dependent, every infant-in-arms, every retiree, everyone. And Congress has shown neither the ability nor any desire to address it. That’s stealing, too, and it also must stop. After paying current year debts, at least 3%, plus interest, of the national debt must be paid down each year.
6) Fiscal policy and monetary policy: Both are clearly out of control. Congress levies taxes but overspends every year, while the Fed prints paper without either the Constitutional authority to do so or any underlying gold or silver in reserve – in direct violation of Constitutional language and intent. Simply to have a sovereign country to pass along to the next generations of Americans, we must begin stabilizing the dollar, and restoring its value and standing in the international community of nations. As for inflation, all other things being equal, if milk costs $2.25 per gallon today, when the exact same thing was priced at $2.00 a year ago, this doesn’t mean that milk has now grown in value; it means the dollar has lost yet more of its value! Inflation is intentional; it’s both devaluation via government policy, and a form of tax. And it, too, is stealing -- and it must stop. Shouldn’t a dollar be worth a dollar?
7) Politicians toss the term “trillions of dollars” around very casually. Let’s try some perspective: In 2008, our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was about $14 trillion, or $47,000 per capita. The “official” (and rapidly growing) national debt is currently $13.6 trillion, i.e., over $122,000 per taxpayer! But, bad as that is, our unfunded liabilities, i.e., government commitments to honor its obligations to current and future Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients, its military and civilian retirees, its bondholders and investors, and many, many others, is currently over $100 trillion! This is not only stealing, it’s madness; and it, too must be addressed and resolved – else the mythical “full faith and credit” fiscal clause becomes totally meaningless, and yet another empty promise. That’s stealing on a scale grander than ever envisioned by any emperor, tyrant, or dictator in history – and, yes, it must stop also. It’s time to start actually funding these promises and commitments.
8) Unfunded mandates are the result of Congress’ failure to fully fund constitutionally allowed functions -- i.e., only those identified in Article I Section 8 – much less those outside that Section’s auspices, e.g., “Obamacare,” and instead forces their cost onto the States and their citizens. This, too, is stealing, and it, too, must stop. All activities and/or programs not constitutionally authorized must stop, and be defunded, nullified, or repealed.
9) Wouldn’t it be nice – for once – to see the www.usdebtclock.org chart going down, instead of escalating out of sight?
Pledge #6: I pledge to work toward restoring the education function to the several States, so they may in turn restore our public schools, at every level, to being the best in the world, preparing their students to earn their rightful place in the front ranks of tomorrow’s best and brightest scientists, engineers, medical professionals, businesspeople, inventors, and more – not merely the world’s greatest athletes and entertainers. This must include encouraging, and assisting where appropriate, the so-called ”private” and home-schooling education system to be full partners in that effort. As for the Department of Education, its primary functions should lie purely in identifying long-term workplace trends and skills needs, identifying learning programs to meet those needs, and identifying learning goals. Actual policy and implementation belong at the State, local, and school board level – where producing knowledgeable, academically well-prepared, and productive citizens is, and ought remain, the respective schools’ primary overarching function.
Pledge #7: I pledge to work toward restoring the nation’s manufacturing base – not only to strengthen the overall economy through the creation of meaningful jobs, but also so that in time of war, we can depend on our own citizens, our own resources, and our own skills for the necessary supplies, materiel, and logistics essential for survival and victory.
Pledge #8: I pledge to work toward instituting/placing term limits on all elected public officials – including myself. At the federal level, this embraces the President, all members of Congress, and the Supreme Court. The President is currently limited to no more than two (2) consecutive terms – and it seems to be working fairly well. I will work toward applying the two-term rule to each House of Congress as well, with Representatives serving no more than two (2) consecutive two-year terms, and Senators serving no more than two (2) consecutive six-year terms. As for the Supreme Court, no distinguished practicing lawyer or jurist should be asked to serve beyond a maximum of ten years. Given that Article III doesn’t specify the Justices’ service lengths, but that the Framers perceived public service at the national level as being on a short-term basis rather than as a career occupation, comporting with the Framers’ clear intent in this area – with or without a constitutional amendment – would be clearly consistent with their philosophy and policy.
Pledge #9: “Energy” not being truly a national-level function, I pledge to work toward restoring natural resources development to its owners, i.e., the several States and their citizens, to develop clear, comprehensive, and coherent policies how they can best meet current and future energy needs in all forms, e.g., identifying realistic energy needs scenarios, identifying and evaluating all realistic options and resources, and applying the best mixes to meet those needs while developing newer, more energy-efficient technologies, delivery capabilities, and applications. As for “climate change” concerns, I will resist all efforts to rush to Doomsday judgments, and insist on documented, verified empirical scientific evidence that “climate change” is either or both real or predominantly human-caused, and therefore actionable. If it is not so caused, no amount of “Cap-and-Trade” taxing can be justified.
Pledge #10: I pledge to provide adequately and appropriately for the national defense, not to seek war, but to avoid it wherever possible – or fight only to win when we do. I will work to ensure that, when and if we as a nation are attacked, our military will at all times be ready, willing, and able to respond as necessary -- like the Minutemen of old. As part of that, I will also work toward securing our borders, to stem the inflow of illegal aliens while remaining ready to welcome those who would go through normal channels to become naturalized citizens, or seasonal or “guest” workers.
Pledge #11: I pledge to work toward ensuring that all legislation shall cite its constitutional authority for its establishment and/or continued existence, and that it have a “sunset” provision; that all legislation applies equally to all – including Congress; that no legislation may contain gratuitous or unrelated amendments, e.g., inserting a new category of so-called “hate crimes” into a military spending bill; that “earmarking” and “pork” cease; and that Congress honor its Article II Section 9 responsibility to publish “a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and expenditures of all public Money,” such Report to be at least annual, and to include, at a minimum, a complete accounting of Congress’ stewardship of “Taxes, duties, Imposts, and Excises” (and all other income and revenues) along with the complete National Budget for the fiscal year, a complete Cash Flow Statement, a National Balance Sheet, and a Statement of National Assets and Liabilities, including current and future obligations. As for the Budget, nothing shall be “off-budget” except for certain expenses and projects which, for valid national security reasons, be summary-reported under that rubric -- but reported nonetheless.
Pledge #12: The tax code is a mess: 71,000+ pages, myriads of taxes no one knows about but which we all pay, more myriads of special interest loopholes, and much, much more. I pledge to work toward replacing it with a simple, fair, honest, and workable structure and process in which everyone pays his/her fair share of the burden that comes with the freedoms, liberties, rights, and responsibilities that we as U.S. citizens and legal residents have and share.
Pledge #13: Campaign and election financing, and redistricting practices are thoroughly corrupt. I pledge to work toward restructuring campaign finance laws, to replace the current practice via at least having all campaign contributions flow through the Federal Elections Commission, and posted/updated at least bi-weekly via the internet, for public perusal – the goal being to reveal all donations, from all sources, for all candidates, so that the public at least knows who’s funding whom, and to what extent. This is an exceptionally thorny problem at all levels, and will take a long time to resolve, but we must start. As well, I pledge to refuse to accept donations from lobbyists, special interest groups, and any organization on behalf of whom I cast a vote while in office – and I challenge my elected colleagues to join me, and thus begin to regain the public’s trust. As for unchecked gerrymandering, it is a practice aimed almost totally at protecting incumbents’ incumbency, and rarely if ever is of benefit to the affected district’s voter constituency. I pledge to act in the best long- and short-term interests of my country and my constituents, above party affiliation, including refusing to participate in unjustified district gerrymandering, e.g., “slivering,” of any kind. This triple pledge should serve to weaken the grip that the major parties and special interest groups currently have on legislators (and voters) at all levels, and restore legislators’ responsibilities closer to the people who vote them into and out of office, i.e., their local constituents.
These Supplementary notes are clearly not exhaustive – merely the first logical and necessary places to start working on, and achieving, each pledge. Not everything will (or can) be fixed immediately -- but start we must. The task will be long and difficult, but necessary. Over time, like barnacles on a ship, powerful favored groups have fostered and benefitted from placing their interests above those of their nation. And, like barnacles on a ship, this forces the less-favored to do more than their fair share – impairing our ability as a nation to advance towards our ideal of a “more perfect Union.” Understandably, those groups will resist any attempts to change their favored status. But if the ideals of equality, liberty, and justice for all still matter, that favored status must stop. I’ll need your constant support, your input, and your help.
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NOTE: As noted above, this Candidate’s Commitment and its contents were inspired by Jessica Hughes, a Lufkin, TX home-school Mom and her Founder’s Alliance (www.thefoundersalliance.org), and by the Tea Party Patriots’ www.contractfromamerica.com national issues list. It represents a compendium of input from thousands of taxpayers, voters, and citizens from across the country during 2009-2010.
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