What Politicians Need to Know

Politics rule our lives. And politicians make the rules. They are responsible for making decisions that affect Americans on a daily basis. Allegedly, they do this in our own best interests.

If that is the case, why is America in such a mess? Unemployment, growing disparity between the classes, homelessness, an unstable stock market, a staggering national debt....the list goes on.

Here are a few things for politicians to think about:

1) The most important thing you should always remember as a politician is that YOU work for US - US being the hard-working, tax-paying citizens of America. We will henceforth be known as your EMPLOYERS.

2) As your EMPLOYERS, let us remind you that the position you are attempting to secure is a TEMPORARY position.

3) We, your EMPLOYERS, expect you to be men and women of your word. You make a promise, we expect you to keep it. When you don't keep your word, your credibility suffers. When your credibility suffers, so does the credibility of our nation.

4) You are expected to be upstanding citizens of the United States of America, just as the same is expected of its citizens. No cheating on your wives, no embezzlement, no fraud, no favoritism, no corruption, no lying, no bribery...as difficult as this may seem, it is actually possible to be an honest person. Even in a government job.

5) Each and every contender for the Presidential race will be required to watch the movie "Dave" repeatedly until he or she actually "gets it" - that is until he or she understands the message in the movie: that your position as President is the position of Public Servant - your every move before, during and after the Presidency is under scrutiny and is subject to media attention; that your position as President requires that you make tough decisions to better the lives of your constituents - your EMPLOYERS - all 300 million of us. Even if that means cutting superfluous spending out of the budget.

It has come to the attention of your EMPLOYERS, that certain changes need to be made. We would like to make the following suggestions:

1) Each and every politician on Capitol Hill should take a 30-50% paycut in salary...something many Americans have had to face during these hard economic times. We feel it is only fair and fitting that you do the same. Anyone refusing to take these pay cuts should be forced to live either on minimum wage or on the average monthly Social Security income which is roughly $1,177 (we'll give you an even $1200 per month...will that help?) This should give all of you the idea of what most Americans are experiencing these days.

2) With the exception of the President and his security team, you will no longer be entitled to chauffeur-driven limousine rides. We, your EMPLOYERS, feel this is a waste of our tax dollars which pay for this luxury. Drive your own car, walk or take public transportation as the rest of us must do.

3) You are also no longer entitled to "perks" - private jets, theater and other event tickets, free dinners and parties. You will be required to pay for those items out of your own pocket, not ours. Your egos will no longer be stroked. You will pay for your own lunches and dinners out of your own pockets. Better yet, brown bag it, as so many of your EMPLOYERS are forced to do.

Disagreement with any of the above will be considered insubordination and will be subject to a written warning or termination of your employment. (You would be told this were you working for any corporation without exception.)

While these expectations and measures may seem high or extreme to some politicians, or politician wannabes, they seem all too logical to your EMPLOYERS. The standards set forth here are the same standards many of us were taught by our elders. And we feel if these standards are good enough for us to live by, they are more than good enough for our employees to live by as well.

After all, if any of our current Public Servants were working in the "private sector," some of them would have already faced reprimands of verbal and written warnings and others might have been fired outright. Because big businesses don't put up with any of the shenanigans our Public Servants have been known to pull.

And, keep in mind what occurred during the French Revolution (remember from your history class?) It was the aristocrats - those with the money and the power - which the peasants went after. That is not to say that American citizens will storm the White House and take prisoners. We are much too civilized for that.

But maybe it is time for a new American Revolution. One that brings about positive economic change. A revolution of government by the people and for the people.

A revolution where the Public Servants remember for whom they work.