My Pledge to You
If elected to the US House of Representatives, I will serve no more than 10 years (5 terms), and I will not accept campaign donations from lobbyists or political action committees.
How the System (doesn't) Works
Why is our government so out of touch? Why is it so dysfunctional? Here is a major part of the problem: We are supposed to have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but it often seems like we have a government of the lobbyists, by the career politicians, on behalf of the special interests. If we want to restore government to the people, we must address the dual issues of career politicians and the special interest money that fuels their re-election campaigns.
Here is how it works. On average, lobbyists and political action committees (PACs) provide about 40% of the money for incumbents in House re-election campaigns in exchange for access and political favors. This money helps insure the incumbents get re-elected over and over again, turning them into career politicians. In addition, the money connection also means that incumbents are likely to become accountable and attuned to special interests, while growing out of touch with their own constituents.
These special interests are represented by about 13,000 lobbyists. In House races, about 85% of all PAC money is given to incumbents, and that helps them defeat challengers, who receive less than 10% of the PAC money.* Even incumbents who are out of touch will likely win, because the candidate with the most money almost always wins, and PAC money provides an enormous advantage. So it should be no surprise that incumbents have been re-elected about 96% of the time over the past decade.
If we want to get different results out of Washington, we must change the way the game is played. I am taking a term limits pledge because I believe it is the most important thing that will restore government to the people. Term limits will insure that the voters have the chance to send fresh representatives and ideas to Washington on a regular basis.
Term limits have worked for the Presidency and term limits will work for Congress. The President is limited to 8 years in office, and I believe House members should be limited to 10 years and Senators to 12 years. These limits of 8, 10, and 12 years will allow for sufficient continuity and stability in government, while preventing long term entrenchment in a specific office.
I am also taking a pledge concerning special interest money because I am committed to representing the people of the Third District, not special interests. The safest way to keep from falling under the influence of special interest groups is to reject their money. As the saying goes, if you want to get to the bottom of things, follow the money.
Taken together, term limits and the rejection of special interest money will go a long way towards cutting the corruption in Washington, and reducing the number of self-serving, out of touch politicians. I am taking a pledge, and I hope you will, also! If you want your government back, consider voting only for those who take a term limits pledge and reject money from lobbyists and PACs. It is the first and most important step to return the government of America to the people.
*All this information is readily available from the Center for Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org.