Comment
When does a public servant become a “politician?”
I would suggest a partial answer to that question can be found in the speaking fees they collect. Beacon #5 talks about not voting for candidates who take money from any kind of organization. Beacon #5 affirmatively talks about voting only for candidates that take contributions from individual citizens, and only in relatively small amounts. Many contributions of small amounts is even kind of “democratic,” don’t you think?
A public servant is someone who gives a portion of their life to represent and/or lead the citizens of this great country in the democratic process. To become elected, they run a campaign by raising money from citizens who support their ideas. After they’re elected, they receive a generous compensation for the work they do as public servants. When they finish their public service, they return to private life and become a productive member of our society again.
A politician sometimes starts out as a public servant, but soon they take contributions from organizations and special interests. They view what they do as a career and they do it for too long. The amount of money they receive from these groups to run their campaigns distorts who they represent. Below are two examples of politicians receiving a lot of money in the form of speaking fees for talking about “I’m not sure what.”
QUEEN HILLARY
NOTE: Take special not of her demands other than the money! Whew!
KING ROBERT
Questions
- When you read stories like these how do you feel? Is it possible to earn these large fees with a short speech or brief consulting time?
- When you hear that a university is paying large fees for a speaker, how does that feel? Could these large fees better be spent for college educations?
- Can you represent anyone when you receive money from organizations and speaking fees that pay you more for 90 minutes than you might earn in your position of service?
- Whether their skills, intellect, and experience deserve is an open question, right? In the free market, demand should set the price, right? Is there a difference between a for profit business paying high fees for top people, and people receiving high fees for speaking because they can exert influence where our votes should decide?
The questions could go on for a long time. Let’s make it simple. Use Beacon #5 (Money) to decide who to vote for. The principles are simple and the values they represent are understandable.
Spread the word! Tell your friends about the Voting Alert Beacons!
. . . remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her. America’s best days are ahead of her. They always have been and always will be.
Dave
Copyright © 2014 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment