Rusty Strait | Senior Reporter
Once upon a time, transportation was accomplished by foot. The next step was on the backs of animals. That gave way to wheels. Wheels spawned a movement for all generations thereafter. Carts, wagons, horse and buggy, rails, tin lizzies, sophisticated motor vehicles, planes and space ships.
The one thing that is long overdue for change is our form of government. It is long overdue. We no longer get together to decide what’s best for the country, but for what will give political parties more power over each other. It would be laughable if it weren’t so sad.
The days of Ronald Reagan and Tipp O’Neil or Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, when President and Speaker would have a drink together and discuss tomorrow’s legislation, are gone. It is easy to blame one party or the other. That only creates more division and hatred. So how do we go about such a change? We completely reorganize our system of government without changing our freedoms. It would be easier than you think.
First of all, we get rid of two houses of Congress and adopt a unicameral (single) legislative branch of government. Get rid of all political parties. Select candidates based on their merits and abilities. We would immediately have a better representative government and the electees would not be able to blame another party for their decisions. They would have to negotiate solutions, not escape responsibility by tossing firebombs at others parties. Elect legislators in the same manner that we put propositions on the ballot. Require a certain amount of signatures to place anyone on the ballot for any office, including all Federal Offices. Re-institute paper ballots. Set term limits as we do for the President. We are not supposed to be a professional government to be run by business personalities. The government is there to serve the people, not profit from them.
Immediately toss out the electoral college and the filibuster.
If these measures were immediately begun, our country would soon be on the path to fair and equal elections, no screaming for voter fraud. It would rid us of political philosophies because nobody is solely liberal, conservative or libertarian. There is some of each in all of us, so why torture ourselves by telling the lie that we are either one way or the other. We are Americans and person to person; we more often find ourselves agreeable on more things than you might imagine. Only political parties separate us from that reality. Can’t buck the party? Get rid of parties.
The change would only confuse those who like to manipulate the vote and blame someone else for their shortcomings.
I’ve discussed this with a number of folks smarter than me. Most of the answers I get are positive. The most common reply? “Only if we could.” We can. It is doable. The only thing is? DO IT!!!!! Just sayin’
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