$5,000,000,000 Wasted

        We just had a mid-term election.  It cost five billion dollars.  What did we get for this money?  It was a waste.  The only positive thing was that it helped the bottom lines of some advertising industries.  

        How many homeless could be helped with $5 billion dollars?  How many veterans could be helped with $5 billion dollars?  How many lives could be helped or saved with &5 billion dollars?

        Both political parties felt they had to outspend the other side.  Most ads were a joke.  They bashed the opponent and seldom addressed any policy issues.  Most people don’t watch TV ads or read flyers anyway.  Informed voters do not make up their mind based on a TV ad or a mailer. 

        This lunacy of wasting money on political campaigns must stop.  Most elected politicians are more concerned about raising money for their next election than they are about representing the constituents who elected them.

        There was a movement called MOP or Money Out of Politics.  I was and am in favor of this, but the campaign was handled badly.  The movement attempted to get a referendum on ballots.  Unfortunately it was written with such offensive partisan language that our county board of supervisors refused to even bring it up for a vote.

        One thing that would help is repealing the 17^th Amendment to the Constitution.  This amendment elects US Senators by popular vote.  Prior to this, the state legislators appointed the Senators to represent the state.  This helped to keep big money from outside the state from controlling the election.  Our founding fathers had it right.  We should change it back. 

        I like the idea of only allowing political donations from people or companies located within the district represented by the candidate.  Why should outsiders and special interests contribute and have control of a candidate.

        We must do something to reform campaign spending.  It has gotten totally out of control.

“Trump did not bring division.  Division brought Trump.

If you don’t see that, then you’re part of the problem.”

Ava Armstrong

God bless President Trump and guide him to make America great again.