Power corrupts politicians

To the editor: To the Washington bureaucrats: 1) If you really want to jump-start the economy, give that remaining money back to the taxpayers, the ones who put it there to begin with. If you politicians really want to give money to jump-start the economy, do this math equation: $350 billion divided by 250 million taxpaying Americans and you get $1,400 per taxpayer, more if there are fewer taxpayers.

2) Establish a flat tax rule for tax withholdings, a straight 10 percent across the board for everyone, including businesses and no more loopholes. If you do business in the USA, you pay it, period. No more ridiculous IRS filings; everyone pays 10 percent out of their paychecks.

3) Establish a tax for consumer and business purchases. Care to know why? With each purchase of any goods, be it a car, a loaf of bread or a pair of shoes, everyone will pay into the system. This would negate No. 2 above.

Care to know why these things will never happen? Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. My uncle served on a famous president’s Secret Service detail back in the ’60s, and the stories of things he heard and witnessed of politicians from 40 years ago and how backdoor dealings took place to only “pad a pocket” was mind-boggling, but that was just the business of the day.

Do you, as an American citizen, think it has improved or worsened in the past 40 years?

Our politics and politicians are corrupt. It has aspired to the level in which we will never be able to “vote out” the bad and “vote in” those who can do good. It takes generations to do so.

Do you see our Washington politicians getting “better” in representing the interest of the people, or do you seem them getting “better” in representing the interest of themselves?

As for the majority of politicians who are corrupt, most of you need look no further than at your local level. If you have it locally, what makes you think just 400 miles north, they are any different, but on a much higher level of return on their corruption?

Care to make a real change? Call your U.S. senators and legislators. Call them every day, and demand simple rules prevail.

If it makes sense to you and the vast majority, then don’t talk about it among yourselves; make the call.

This is our country, not just 100 senators in Congress, or a few hundred legislators in the House of Representatives. We are the millions who are really in control of this country; you have to be willing to take a stand each and every day.

Our country is run only by what “we the people” allow our politicians to change. We have what we have allowed it to become.

If you aren’t calling your senator or legislator, don’t blame it on Washington. Accept some of the corruption yourself. We are all to blame.