Here's my plan.

I say we fire the entire legislature and all their aides. We fire the President and all his aides too. We televise both sides of every issue and vote by telephone to decide all issues. For those without televisions or telephones (very few btw), we would have viewing sites equipped with telephones for voting. Some issues might be regional and only those in the region would vote. In all cases, the majority would rule.

WE would hire a manager to direct the programs we approve and he would hire whoever he needs to help him within a budget voted on and set by us.

When our government was established we needed a representative form of government due to difficult travel and long distances to be traveled by horseback or on foot. But with electronic media and our extensive communications system though, we can now do it ourselves.

We would have to audit the voting process occasionally, but with the money we would save on paying the legislature and President, we could set up and maintain the system. We could cut taxation in half in 2 years and cut it more each year. And best of all, we would all have a say in what our country's future.

smile

[ January 26, 2006, 01:51 AM: Message edited by: smilinize ]

Smile,
OK idea, but we could never agree on who to hire as manager. Sounds like anarchy to me.

Smile, I think our system is okay. Some of the politicians do their jobs well, but the people need to let them know we expect them to represent us. I bet a very low percentage of people have actually contacted their congressman or senator to inform them of their opinion on any upcoming legislature.

Daisygirl

Interesting idea, Smile! LOL! It does sound tempting now and again. Although like learning everything I need to know about all the different insurance options I'm offered, it sounds like too much work to learn everything about every issue....

Actually, I'm pretty happy with my senators and representative, particularly the latter because he (Sam Farr) is a thinking man, avoiding the nastiness that invades politics too much these days.

One of the reason our tax codes are so huge, is that they have been patchworked over time with this interest and that interest. Laws aren't eliminated, they are modified. Good for accountants, bad for us.

But the Fair Tax Law (good or bad as it may be) is a "how" solution. It's not a "why" solution. Why are there taxes? What do we want them to do for us? And what does the big picture look like? Our government is running a deficit now, in part (although not totally) due to the recent tax cuts. As a result we are borrowing more money from other countries, mortgaging our future as a country.

So Smile has a good point, what do we need our government to do? How do we want our money spent? How did a bridge to a lightly occupied island in Alaska make it into the current budget, and other programs get cut? If we send messages to our congresspersons, what is it we want them to do? And how much money do we want them to have to do it?

Interesting topic...

I do maintain contact with my elected representatives (if I feel passionately about some issue that is). But if I have tell them how to vote on every issue, why not just make the decisions myself.

As to my plan, every person would probably not vote on every issue. Rather each person might have a topic that he or she would be especially passionate about and become informed enough to vote on it.

If decisions were made that the majority did not approve, we could always just call another vote and change it.

As to hiring the manager it would be decided by the majority like the CEO of a corporation. And if he or she didn't do a good job, we could just fire them.

5, you are right it would be anarchy, a revolution much like the one that founded this country in the first place.

I doubt I'll ever see it in my lifetime, but I see no reason for a representative form of government now that we are all connected electronically.

I say we kick out the politicians and make this a true government of the people, for the people and by the people!

Boy I'm sounding more like a politician all the time! Whooeeeee.

smile

[ January 26, 2006, 01:45 PM: Message edited by: smilinize ]

Except that a CEO isn't elected by the majority, but by a board of directors. And you don't get rid of them without paying a lot of money. LOL!

The Fair Tax sounds good to me, but just telling congressmen/women may not get us far. How do we ever know if they even read our letters? And the Fair Tax would affect them too, by taxing them more. But the idea of not taxing investments, I like that. I'd save more. And wouldn't it be nice if we could get a State Fair Tax system? One Tax, same in each state. Then it would be a competition to see which state could do the best with the money it "makes." And the Fair Tax (from what I've read online) would cover Social Security easily. Filing taxes would be a snap!

Who's going to select the board of directors? Just as in politics, it would be the people with the biggest mouths and the most money, the biggest Bsh****ers.
Sounds like gameboy politics to me. Perhaps we could also, all of us, just sit down and come up with a great idea that we could all agree on too while we're at it? Not likely and it is a fantasy to think that the majority could or would ever either take back or gain control of that magnitude. Also, computers are way too easy to manipulate and identities can be stolen, could be a hacker's paradise, too too much room for error. But if you have nothing better to do, its nice daydreaming material.

Because politicians are so self serving and most don't really care what their constituents want, how about term limits??!! I for one would love to see Robert (KKK) Byrd or Ted Kennedy bite the dust.