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New American Revolution will use power of the ballot

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By George Eastwood

Compared to mere mortals, corporations can live forever, they feel neither hunger nor cold, and far too many “too big to fail” corporations have no sense of morality. Corporations, with their vast resources, routinely influence a Congress originally created to meet the needs of ordinary flesh and blood citizens.

Occupy Wall Street’s targeting of corporations is an ineffective strategy for change. The nature of corporations is to operate at the edge of legal limits and escape scrutiny. For a revolution to effect change, the true source of the problem must be identified and all energy must be focused on a single goal that is attainable, easy to understand and implement, and revolutionary in its impact.

The proper target of America’s current long suffering is our Congress of dinosaurs, unwilling to change to well serve this nation. Effective action from Congress generally results from a team effort involving both parties. No matter how many individual shining stars may be in each party, both parties must be held accountable for a Congressional team that has repeatedly failed to deliver for the American people.

A new crop of agile and diverse citizen-legislators without any party straitjackets will certainly perform far better than the current dysfunctional membership. Independent thinkers with open minds willing to compromise and create real solutions may be the beginning of the revitalization of America. Tiresome fingerpointing by the old guard emphasizes the need to replace all 435 representatives in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate up for election in 2012.

This Congress, many of its members serving for decades, will never reform itself. There is absolutely no incentive for either party to be responsive or reform when greater than 90 percent of incumbents are typically returned to office each election.

“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

This Congress has failed to enact laws and provide enforcement to ensure that this nation has a transparent, trustworthy, and reasonably stable financial system that fosters steady growth and corporations that provide fair value to their customers and investors while also providing jobs and a living wage to their American workers.

This Congress routinely buys votes with bacon, never balances its budget, cannot reliably meet its financial responsibilities, and fails to protect the next generation from heavy financial burden.

This Congress refuses to reform the current corrupt political process that favors the wealthy and connected and has squashed the American Dream of ordinary citizens. It has failed to promote fair political processes/elections based on competing ideas and minimize the corruption inherent in party fundraising, producing unequal access to power and meaningless sound bites for the masses.

This Congress has destroyed the basic ideal of the citizen-legislator willing to compromise for the good of the nation and benefit of future generations, regardless of political consequence. Passing the buck and subservience to special interests rather than honest and frank service to country is now the rule.

This Congress has enacted self-serving laws to produce an elite, privileged, “governing class” who are immune to consequences of the very laws they enact for ordinary citizens. A Congress that lavishes benefits on their members fails to lead by example or demonstrate integrity.

This Congress has failed as a team for the American people and should be sent to the unemployment lines their poor legislation for special interests has created.

“We the People” have the power to overthrow corrupt, incompetent, and unjust governments. A new American Revolution is well overdue to ensure our government is responsible and responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens. We must use the power of the ballot, hard won by the blood of the patriots of 1776, to preserve the American Dream for our children and grandchildren.

Now is the time to replace the sorry past with a brighter future, firing every single Congressional member, without exception. This American Revolution will be the shot heard around the world. Vote for anyone other than a Republican or Democrat in 2012.

George Eastwood is a Ramona resident.

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