When our country was first formed there were two political parties wooing the American voter, the Federalist Party created by Alexander Hamilton and the Democrat-Republican Party supported by Jefferson and Madison.
Not only could the Democrats and Republicans get along with each other, they were members of the same family! The Federalists eventually disappeared and the remaining political party split in two.
That should tell you something about American politics and politicians; developing different agendas and disagreeing with each other are a way of life and that's not going to change.
It's the subject of those disagreements I would like to address.
The entire country's going down the tubes because of political gridlock and too many people are beginning to think there is no sensible solution.
I disagree, but we must disabuse ourselves of the notion that, within our current political system, we the people can change it because we can't.
Today's politicians are bought and paid for before they ever enter their offices.
The squeaky wheel has turned into a well greased wheel, doing its' harm without anyone ever hearing a sound.
Mass protests are ineffective - they get their 5 minutes of fame and disappear.
With far too many of today's voters, what happened today is relevant, what happened yesterday is history.
The same is true of our politicians.
Political party's aside, we are not the same America that was present in 1776.
I am not referring to technological or manufacturing advances, but the attitudes of the leaders we elected.
The most significant change was in our political culture, where, in the beginning, our political leaders were struggling to make the new Republic work.
It didn't need to work perfectly, it just needed to work.
They had no guidelines because no country at that time even contemplated voter-driven government.
It was new soil they were tilling and a few rocks were to be expected.
What those early politicians had that today's do not was a deep-seated belief and conviction that they were put in office to help their country, not their political party and certainly not to enrich themselves or those that supported them.
If you take a look at how other segments of American culture, or what's left of it, have changed for the worse you will know exactly what I mean.
This may sound a little weird, but once you have identified a problem, it is no longer a problem, finding a solution becomes the problem.
In this case I think the only solution lies in the significant percentage of Americans who classify themselves as Independents.
These are people who refuse to clothe themselves in party principles and are willing to place their votes where their intellects tell them, not where their party tells them.
They are willing to think independently and judge candidates on their actions not their talk.
Independent voters are America's only hope for returning our political system to one the Founding Fathers envisioned.
Yes, I am suggesting a third party be formed, the Independent Party, and I have some further suggestions as to what the first party platform should be.
• First and foremost it should not engage in any effort that has the least bit to do with religious dogma.
It therefore will remain neutral on subjects such as abortion, gay rights, or any other subject that intrudes on an individual's personal choice of alternatives that deal with them and only them.
• Since it will be a new party, and no doubt struggling for funding, a major plank in the platform will be to limit the amount candidates can spend on a political campaign, $1 million for state offices and $5 million for national offices.
That will insure that, in the future, the playing field will be perfectly level and candidates will be forced to speak to the real issues, not those of lobbyists or major supporters.
Issues that affect everyday Americans.
PACs of any kind will be outlawed.
The people can speak with their votes not with their checkbooks.
There is a vast difference between winning an election and buying one.
• In any national election, all sides will be given a limited list of issues they may address.
The state parties will do the same, only focused on their particular state not the nation.
For example, the first election under this system could focus on our national debt and tax reform, nothing else.
That does not mean other efforts of our nation, such as foreign policy and immigration reform should not continue, but this particular election will not address those issues.
Two major subjects to debate are enough for any country at any given time.
It also forces the politicians to focus as well.
• If our national debt is one of the issues chosen, and to allow the newly elected Congress time to gather facts and potential solutions all foreign aid will be suspended for 6 months after a 6 month notification process.
There will be no guarantee that aid will be resumed.
If you or your household have a debt problem it's only common sense to suspend spending money until you find out what to do with the money you do have.
• It is to be expected that sooner or later entitlement programs will be impacted.
You do not get out of debt until you have more coming in than going out so everyone should be prepared to sacrifice.
The amount of these reductions should be directly tied to the elimination of tax loopholes, particularly to the business community.
We are a nation of people not of corporations although today the people have little to say and the corporations have everything to say.
Any aid to the business community should be on a quid pro quo basis: we will give you this if you give us that.
We will help you grow if it means more jobs, not lower taxes.
It has always seemed foolish to me that an individual's taxes can increase as earnings increase but far too many corporations seem to be able to avoid that little problem.
Electing officials to serve is the same as having employees.
If a particular person is doing a wonderful job you keep them on, if not you fire them.
Therefore seniority and term limits should both be eliminated.
I have no illusions that what is suggested here will solve all, or even a majority of our Country's problems.
It simply suggest that we straighten up our political house the way it was meant to be when we were first founded, take a few steps forward and not try to solve our problems all at once.
When I suggest we tackle only two major problems at a time I did not mean that the two mentioned were the most important.
However, nothing we face is going to be solved without reducing our debt so that should be the place to start.
If the Independent voters can rally around a new political party we can attract the funding necessary.
Relying on the current political system is futile.
Congress needs a wake-up call and a vigorous one.
Who leads the Independent Party is important, but nowhere near as important as the people who make it up.
We must focus on making our Country better, not on an individual, so we need to stop looking for a savior and start saving ourselves.
Not only could the Democrats and Republicans get along with each other, they were members of the same family! The Federalists eventually disappeared and the remaining political party split in two.
That should tell you something about American politics and politicians; developing different agendas and disagreeing with each other are a way of life and that's not going to change.
It's the subject of those disagreements I would like to address.
The entire country's going down the tubes because of political gridlock and too many people are beginning to think there is no sensible solution.
I disagree, but we must disabuse ourselves of the notion that, within our current political system, we the people can change it because we can't.
Today's politicians are bought and paid for before they ever enter their offices.
The squeaky wheel has turned into a well greased wheel, doing its' harm without anyone ever hearing a sound.
Mass protests are ineffective - they get their 5 minutes of fame and disappear.
With far too many of today's voters, what happened today is relevant, what happened yesterday is history.
The same is true of our politicians.
Political party's aside, we are not the same America that was present in 1776.
I am not referring to technological or manufacturing advances, but the attitudes of the leaders we elected.
The most significant change was in our political culture, where, in the beginning, our political leaders were struggling to make the new Republic work.
It didn't need to work perfectly, it just needed to work.
They had no guidelines because no country at that time even contemplated voter-driven government.
It was new soil they were tilling and a few rocks were to be expected.
What those early politicians had that today's do not was a deep-seated belief and conviction that they were put in office to help their country, not their political party and certainly not to enrich themselves or those that supported them.
If you take a look at how other segments of American culture, or what's left of it, have changed for the worse you will know exactly what I mean.
This may sound a little weird, but once you have identified a problem, it is no longer a problem, finding a solution becomes the problem.
In this case I think the only solution lies in the significant percentage of Americans who classify themselves as Independents.
These are people who refuse to clothe themselves in party principles and are willing to place their votes where their intellects tell them, not where their party tells them.
They are willing to think independently and judge candidates on their actions not their talk.
Independent voters are America's only hope for returning our political system to one the Founding Fathers envisioned.
Yes, I am suggesting a third party be formed, the Independent Party, and I have some further suggestions as to what the first party platform should be.
• First and foremost it should not engage in any effort that has the least bit to do with religious dogma.
It therefore will remain neutral on subjects such as abortion, gay rights, or any other subject that intrudes on an individual's personal choice of alternatives that deal with them and only them.
• Since it will be a new party, and no doubt struggling for funding, a major plank in the platform will be to limit the amount candidates can spend on a political campaign, $1 million for state offices and $5 million for national offices.
That will insure that, in the future, the playing field will be perfectly level and candidates will be forced to speak to the real issues, not those of lobbyists or major supporters.
Issues that affect everyday Americans.
PACs of any kind will be outlawed.
The people can speak with their votes not with their checkbooks.
There is a vast difference between winning an election and buying one.
• In any national election, all sides will be given a limited list of issues they may address.
The state parties will do the same, only focused on their particular state not the nation.
For example, the first election under this system could focus on our national debt and tax reform, nothing else.
That does not mean other efforts of our nation, such as foreign policy and immigration reform should not continue, but this particular election will not address those issues.
Two major subjects to debate are enough for any country at any given time.
It also forces the politicians to focus as well.
• If our national debt is one of the issues chosen, and to allow the newly elected Congress time to gather facts and potential solutions all foreign aid will be suspended for 6 months after a 6 month notification process.
There will be no guarantee that aid will be resumed.
If you or your household have a debt problem it's only common sense to suspend spending money until you find out what to do with the money you do have.
• It is to be expected that sooner or later entitlement programs will be impacted.
You do not get out of debt until you have more coming in than going out so everyone should be prepared to sacrifice.
The amount of these reductions should be directly tied to the elimination of tax loopholes, particularly to the business community.
We are a nation of people not of corporations although today the people have little to say and the corporations have everything to say.
Any aid to the business community should be on a quid pro quo basis: we will give you this if you give us that.
We will help you grow if it means more jobs, not lower taxes.
It has always seemed foolish to me that an individual's taxes can increase as earnings increase but far too many corporations seem to be able to avoid that little problem.
Electing officials to serve is the same as having employees.
If a particular person is doing a wonderful job you keep them on, if not you fire them.
Therefore seniority and term limits should both be eliminated.
I have no illusions that what is suggested here will solve all, or even a majority of our Country's problems.
It simply suggest that we straighten up our political house the way it was meant to be when we were first founded, take a few steps forward and not try to solve our problems all at once.
When I suggest we tackle only two major problems at a time I did not mean that the two mentioned were the most important.
However, nothing we face is going to be solved without reducing our debt so that should be the place to start.
If the Independent voters can rally around a new political party we can attract the funding necessary.
Relying on the current political system is futile.
Congress needs a wake-up call and a vigorous one.
Who leads the Independent Party is important, but nowhere near as important as the people who make it up.
We must focus on making our Country better, not on an individual, so we need to stop looking for a savior and start saving ourselves.