I think...

Who do your Congressmen serve?

No matter on which side of the aisle they sit, the large majority of Congressmen and women consistently vote to bolster and increase the size of our federal government. From national healthcare, gun control, to national security Congress continually make laws governing rights that are in reality, reserved to the states.

Why does this happen? First off, it is human nature to protect your position and power. So passing more laws to make their job ever more important is self-preservation in the most corrupt form. Secondly, we rarely hold our Congressmen and women to the standards and principles they were elected on. We also continue to elect them year after year, resigning ourselves to supporting the current system, under false beliefs of no alternative. Finally, there is no reason for our Representatives and Senators to remain aligned to their states. Their allegiance remains solely to the federal government, and serving the american people as a whole, rather than the population segment they represent.

This is a bastardization of Constitutional intentions. Our Congress was meant to represent the seperate populations, so all americans had a representative voice in our federal government. Instead of looking to the average views of their respective districts, our Congressmen and Women have begun to concentrate on the popular views of the United States, even if said opinions drastically differ from the district he or she represents.

This is far from how things should run. It has effectively removed our individual voices from our federal government. We can no longer influence decisions in Congress to meet our local needs, and ensure our opinions are heard and respected in congressional forum. We have effectively lost all control of our government.

It does not have to remain this way. We have options to regain control of OUR government. We are not helpless, afterall we elect those representatives to office, and we can vote differently. American ingenuity has always found a way to meet every challenge we have ever faced, and this is no different. I have several recommendations to re-align Congress with the views of its constituents.

The 17th Amendment changed the election of Senators, from that of the State Legislature to that of the population within districts. In doing so, it was ensured that the State has no say in who shall represent them nationally. So often you find the views of State governments at odds with that of the National Government. Repealing the 17th Amendment and placing power back in the hands of the state legislature will ensure state issues are heard at national levels, and the allegiance of the senators will once again be alligned with the state from which they come.

Senators and Representatives are paid by the federal government. This both hands them control over their own salaries, and ensures they act for the entire United States population rather than respecting the views of the districts they serve. I will reiterate that our represenatives are supposed to be representing the views and opinions district they serve at a national level, rather than representing ALL american people at once. Each area of the United States has its own representative that should be speaking independently for those people. In order to re-affirm this view, I would like to see the salaries of the Congressmen paid by the area they represent. To be set, paid, and if needed withheld by those people. A good guideline would perhaps be the average local income of that area. This would give the Congressman the incentive to work to better his home district. This will ensure the Congressmen and women pay more close attention to their citizens, and represent them truly, and more equally at the national level.

We do not have to resign ourselves to continually vote for National Representatives who do not serve our local needs, and respect the opinions of the local citizenship. There are actions we, as citizens, can take to force our government back on track, and representing the people it serves. Rather than complaining how congress has been acting these past few years, try proposing a change in salary payment, or support the repeal of the 17th amendment. These options will help you regain control of YOUR Congress, and hopefully place us well on the way to the change we so desperately need, and a better America.