Forum Post: All politics is local and we need to reform the way we elect or officials

I would like to see money out of politics. I feel that is the root of the problem. I feel that all politics are local. I think the only money that a politician should have to campaign on should be from their district for congress, state for senators, and for the presidental election the two candidates can only spend money that was raised in each individual state to advertise in that state. Congressional districts set a maximum that an individual and corporation can spend on the election. Individual states set their maximum that an individual or corporation can spend for a senate election and for the presidental election. These limits are set by an election board of non partisian community leaders from each district, each state. They are voted to a 5 year term. These election boards will also have the responcibility to set district boundries. No more Gerrymandering. The state of Washington has in there constitution that all boundries must be by mountain range, river, valley, major freeway etc. If you look at the state of washingtons districts you will not see jogs here and there to give unfair advantage to the parties in power during census years. Only the most populated areas are not major blocks of land but must still be bound by major thoroughfare, river etc. and not by the parties slicing and dicing.
I believe since the supreme court decried it, that Corporations, Unions should have be ablility to support the candidate of there choice, but only in the district and state of there coroporate head quarters, and only up to the amount that the districts and states have individually set for the congressional, senate and presidential elections. The residents of the districts and state say what is a fair limit of contribution for their respected elections. We as american citizens can only vote in our district, and state of residency our money should only influence the districts and states we live in. This should also hold true for our wealthy,our corporations, and unions. ONE VOTE AND ONE CONTRIBUTION MAXIMUM for each registered voter and legal corporation and union. The district and state election board will have the responcibility to audit these elections and this can easily and secretly as each registered voter will get a number that must be on all donations to see that these thresholds are not violated by individuals, corporations, unions or the candidates. In this way our elected officials whether Dem, Rep, Independent need to do our business first and foremost in DC or else they will niether receive the votes or money from their constiuents who sent them to DC for their next election. This will free them up to make the best deal possible for their districts and states that they represent. Dems will be able to vote with Rep, and Independents that face like issues that effect their constiuents rather than the party line or who will finance their next campaign. This will move all elected officials into the middle to NEGOTIATE what is best for their constiuents interests first. not what the party line is or what corporate lobbyist tell them. The issues of taxes, no taxes, healthcare, no healthcare, social security, no social security, medicare, no medicare, paying down the debt or stimulating jobs will then be decided by WE THE PEOPLE through our congressman, senators, and excecuted by our president (excecutive office). These representatives will have to answer to there individual districts, and states constiuents on these and other important issues if they want to be re-elected and if they want our wallet support. they will be free of lobbyist influence, and there monies as well as national party monies. We can all then speak equally with our votes or our maximum contributions, and no voice will be louder than any others. I hope you will as this demonstration evolves you all will recognize that until we have TRUELY LOCAL representation in DC that is unencumbered by the excesses of unregulated money we will not move forward. I believe that almost all of our representatives and senators go to DC with the idea of doing theire districts and states business on behalf of their constiuents but once their they are corrupted by party, corporate, union, and special interest monies. They realize very quickly that they can't get re-elected in our system the way it currently is set up without selling their soles for campaign contributions. Their is no reason why a presidential campaign should cost each candidate a billion dollors or a congressional district several million. They have so much money that after they try and debate the issues they spend the biggest portion of their money on half truths or outright lies. If they didn't have this excess money sloshing around in their pockets they would have to debate each other because they will find that this is the best use of their limited resources. Instead of throwing mud from the cheap seats.