First there was the push for campaign finance reform. Senators McCain and Feingold patched together some legislation that would “clean up” the effects of corporate and special interest donors and eliminate their effect on politicians being bought into office. Not surprisingly, the spirit of the law was sidestepped by the proliferation of PAC’s and 527 […]

You’ve probably heard the expression “Quid Pro Quo” before. It means “an equal exchange.” Another way to say this is “You get what you pay for.” Whatever your phraseology, the concept is pretty simple. For any thing you want, you must have something to exchange for it. This concept is the basis for our entire […]

When we speak of democracy today, we understand it to mean a form of self-government. Indeed, the word is derived from the Greek word, demos, meaning people, combined with the Greek word, krati, meaning power or strength. In it’s present incarnation, democracy has become synonymous with the American system of politics. Yet just below the […]

Campaign finance reform is always on the periphery of politics, but not because the politicians in power want to change the very system that they have carefully constructed to maintain the status quo. Rather, these reforms are trotted out every so often as a means of placating the public, to assure us that our elected […]

Voting is fundamental to our system of democracy. It is through our votes that we pass initiatives that shape our laws. It is through our votes that we elect people to the halls of government. Without the ability to voice our political desires, democracy does not exist. But, as with so many other facets of […]

Up to now, I have been laying the groundwork from which to begin making our government more responsive to and more representative of the citizens of this country. This groundwork relies upon the concepts of Common Sense, personal involvement, and the demand for better leadership. I express a sense of urgency at times because I […]