Our Founding Fathers would be thoroughly disillusioned by how the form of government they envisioned has been altered and abused. The Founders thought they were creating a governing structure radically different from the British Monarchy the colonists had escaped from. The Declaration of Independence codified their feelings, and the three separate branches of government they created had checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
As a further attempt to prevent the development of a sovereignty, the legislative and executive branches of government were elected by the populace and had fixed terms in office. Thomas Jefferson expressed it this way: "A government by representatives elected by the people at short periods was our object, and our maxim was, where annual election ends, tyranny begins ". It was expected that citizens would donate a few years of their lives to public service, and then return to the private sector.
Over the years, self-serving politicians have, in essence, become permanent office holders. During their tenures, they receive largess from special interest groups, lobbyists, and wealthy conglomerates. Gradually, the interests of these wealthy influence peddlers become more important than the interests of the folks back home.
A classic example of this transformation is Wisconsin's Paul Ryan, whose nine terms in the House of Representatives comprises 18 years. Yes, you read that correctly. Representative Ryan has served for 18 uninterrupted years. This is the careerism the Founding Fathers strived to prevent. They wanted public servants, not professional politicians who become toadies to wealthy donors.
Ryan is a strong supporter of cheap foreign labor, a boon for organizations controlled by his millionaire contributors. But the influx of illegal aliens has hugely diminished job opportunities for natural-born citizens. Some journalists insist that Paul Ryan is Hillary Clinton's strongest supporter on Capitol Hill and Hillary and Ryan are in lock-step regarding open borders and increased Muslim immigration. It should be noted that Ryan's wife is an extreme Leftist Liberal who voted for Barack Obama twice.
In the upcoming election, Ryan is being challenged by Paul Nehlen, who would be a fresh congressional face. If there was ever a time when fresh faces were needed in Washington, it is now. We've ignored the wishes of the Founding Fathers for too long. A newcomer like Nehlen would sever Ryan's beltway cronyism, and Ryan's campaign is largely funded by DC connections, not Wisconsin citizens.
Sadly, incumbents always have advantages over challengers. It is harder for challengers to raise funds to run a campaign; and they must be able to support their families during the long months of the campaign. On the other hand, the incumbent keeps drawing his hefty salary, courtesy of the taxpayers. There is the added plum of being able to use his taxpayer-funded congressional staff and mailing privileges to assist his campaign.
Most incumbents have name recognition and celebrity status. When giving reasons for voting for the incumbent, some will mention a courteous response from a member of his staff, meeting his wife and children, shaking his hand at a community event, or some other personal incident that is essentially unrelated his performance in office.
Let's all hope that Wisconsin voters have seen through Paul Ryan's entrenchment with DC's moneyed establishment and those of us who desperately oppose current conditions in Washington will not be disappointed by this election. Unfortunately, the folks back home will often reelect the incumbent even though it might not be in their best interests. Term limits is the only solution to voter listlessness and apathy.
Gail Jarvis is a Coastal Georgia based freelance writer. Following a career as a CPA/business consultant, Mr. Jarvis now critiques the establishment’s selective and misleading reporting of current events and history. Gail can be reached at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Our Founding Fathers would be thoroughly disillusioned by how the form of government they envisioned has been altered and abused. The Founders thought they were creating a governing structure radically different from the British Monarchy the colonists had escaped from. The Declaration of Independence codified their feelings, and the three separate branches of government they created had checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
As a further attempt to prevent the development of a sovereignty, the legislative and executive branches of government were elected by the populace and had fixed terms in office. Thomas Jefferson expressed it this way: "A government by representatives elected by the people at short periods was our object, and our maxim was, where annual election ends, tyranny begins ". It was expected that citizens would donate a few years of their lives to public service, and then return to the private sector.
