Write to the candidates: What would you ask Americans to sacrifice?

[netmouse]

I appreciate the positive feedback I've gotten on my post about my letter to Senator Obama about donating blood, etc, and I'll appreciate it even more if you'd chime in and send the same message to him through the campaign's debate feedback form. That will make it more likely someone will take notice. (Feel free to spread the word, and/or link to my post).

While you're thinking about it, what would *you* ask America to do, to sacrifice, if you had the the kind of national attention these candidates can get, both as candidates and potentially as President? Write to them about that too.

In addition to the question of giving blood, one big thing I saw missing from both of their discussions of an energy plan was manpower. George Bush has made some somewhat lame mentions of the fact that some Americans are dealing with the gas price problems by driving less and riding bikes and such. Sure we are! And we should do more! Don't we have a national struggle with obesity and diabetes? We can address that and gas shortages and prices at the same time, by using old-fashioned manpower to get around. By hooking up generators to the stationary bikes and other exercise equipment we use at the home and the gym, so they generate electricity instead of using it up. By building bike-powered drive-in theaters and other such alternative energy solutions. Part of dealing with the energy crisis should include encouraging bike-friendly urban design and rules of the road. Hybrid and electric public transit as well as personal cars.

There are a lot of things they aren't talking about. So go call them on it!

(you can contact the McCain campaign here).

Comments

[sardonical1.livejournal.com]

I do not know why there is any need to have a janitor as a federal worker. If the government does need to have janitors to clean up its buildings, it should hire an independent contractor that is willing to charge the absolute minimum amount to do the work (which might be as low as $6-8 an hour, depending upon the location).

The interesting thing is that I actually believe that members of Congress should be paid more -- around $1 million each. However, it would not go to this bunch. Rather, I would impose a strict term limit -- such as one or two terms, in order to flush this Congress out. Then, with the higher income that members of Congress would receive, it would entice a more qualified pool of applicants. At the moment, with the low pay that members of Congress receive (and $160,000 is rather low for high stakes in this position), it encourages people who are power hungry but are less centered on money. I would rather entice people who are more interested in money, and thus, would have higher qualifications, than the power hungry individuals we presently have. You either pay low wages to members of Congress and receive this unqualified pool, or you raise the pay and you can get higher qualified individuals.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

hmm. So whose pay *would* you cut?

(I don't personally believe you get the highest quality work and overall results by always accepting the minimum bid. If that was true, we would have much better roads in Michigan. I think raising representatives' pay is an interesting idea, but I think it would need to go hand in hand with something (your term limits are one possible solution) that would help them stay focused on the job at hand instead of on getting re-elected).

[sardonical1.livejournal.com]

Whose pay would I cut? Those who work at the FCC, SEC, Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Commerce, Dept. of Health and Human Services, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Energy, etc. Of course, I would also prefer to completely abolish these departments, so a pay cut would actually be rather mild in my view.