A NEW WAY OF ELECTING GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS


    I have tried several times to run for office in several counties in the state that I have lived in all of my life except for my time in the military. Both major parties either wanted me to go to classes on how to run a campaign and how to work for the party first then if that did not conflict with what you wanted to do for your constituency you would be able to do what you wanted other wise you would be considered a loose cannon. This may have changed significantly since the 70's and 80's but the parties will still fight against someone who they consider to be a non-team player.

    I have voted republican every presidential election since I registered to vote when I was 18, in 1971, but only because I have always voted for the lesser of the two evils and because there where not any other candidates most of the time, except for when Perot ran as an independent. I am a liberal on somethings, a moderate on others but a staunch conservative on most things.

    I have done some research on the matter of how we developed into a two party system in stead of many to go along with our many different points of views in this wonderful country of ours and I have found that over the years in most states that the requirements have changed and that laws have been passed that makes it virtually impossible for the average person to even run for dog catcher little alone for any other office and it seems like a concerted effort on the democrats and republicans part to kill any real reform movement in the USA by anyone but their selves because they voted sometime back to give so much money to the incumbent party and then a lessor amount to the other main party for their conventions which I consider nothing more than a big celebration party for their loyal members, oh and no money for any other (minor) parties if there are others. 
    This is why I am proposing a new way of electing any person to an office, for county and city offices you would pay a registration fee of $25, for state offices $50, for national offices $75, this would get your name on the ballot and you would have six months to campaign and could accept money from individuals only, no more than $25 per week starting six months before you start campaigning till the general election date which should not be more than 18 months from the time that you start raising money for your campaign, also no more Pac's and no lobbyist at all at any time ever again. All ballots would not list any party affiliation plus for each office being decided the following would also be listed as a valid choice; NONE OF THE ABOVE CANDIDATES (NOTAC) for those who do not like any of the candidates. In order to move from the primaries to the general election there would have to be a cutoff on the percentage votes that each candidate must get to move onto the next election. 
    I believe that this method would be more than fair, oh and no more electoral college for the president and vice president, the person getting the most votes would be president and the person getting the 2nd most votes would become the vice president. This method would make our elected officials much more responsive and if you throw in that they had to actually be in their seats or offices when congress is in session, I believe more could get done and in a shorter time and it could windup saving the tax payers money on energy.

    Both parties at present have the same agenda, suck as much money out of their  fellow citizens as possible before they are elected out of office or retire.