Forum Post: Stop Paying Politicians!

If I am correct, it appears the Occupy Wall Street's goal is to end the era of economic servitude in America.

It should be understood that while the disparity between the rich and the poor has increased in the past few decades, the desire for the wealthiest 1% to create such disparity has not increased. It has always been the same I would agree that for too long those opposed to economic servitude have tolerated our nation's bought and paid for leaders preaching of the virtues of market based economics over the needs of the average citizen.

The Bank Bailout represented the ultimate hypocriscy of our government. The excuse offered was that the Bailout actually paid for itself and to some degree the nation received the money back. Plus the peasants would have rioted had the banks gone broke. (yet most of us have less than the FDIC insured limit in accounts (250K), so who exactly would have rioted? You guessed it, the affluent and super rich)

Now why when it comes to the interests of the rich is our government so ready to compromise its otherwise stout capitalist principles? They pay for the elections, of course.

The failure of the government to tax the bankers who utilized those funds, not to loan to average businesses, but rather to pay out bonuses to their underserving upper echelon employees illustrates the inherent injustice of the current system. The banks' arguments that there would have been a talent drain had we failed to pay such bonuses are laughable. What talent? The talent that drove you into the gutter?

Ours has become a nation of socialism for the elite and capitalism for the 99%. The top banker jobs are not available to the average public. They do not post million dollar jobs online. These are jobs handed out at country clubs across the country, not in interviews. It has been a problem. It is a problem. But what can Occupy Wall Street do about this?

My suggestion. Begion reform by freezing all benefits and salaries to politicians. This will do nothing to dent the budget, but it will be symbolic. They don't get paid for failure. Politics is not a career, but a service. I believe the right and left could join together in putting an end to political salaries. Stop feeding them and they will stop cheating us.

I agree with those who say we must also put an end to ALL prviate funding of campaigns. Make it illegal to charge for a campaign advertisement. Thus, no one can be prohibited from advertising, but companies can be prohibited from profiting. Convoluted case law notwithstanding, the Constitution protects "freedom of speech," not "the freedom to profit off of speech."

End the money for the advertisers and you will end political campaign funding.