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If we're going to keep electing rich guys to be President...

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ck4829 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 05:37 PM
Original message
If we're going to keep electing rich guys to be President...
Maybe we should make it so that the President takes care of and maintains the White House with his own money.

Everything, from the fuel on Air Force 1 to the potato chips in the kitchen, is paid by with OUR money.

It's time that old money folks stop mooching off of the Little People.

Bunch of crazy no good freeloaders.
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Captain Hilts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 05:41 PM
Response to Original message
1. Then the less affluent won't be able to be prez at all. nt
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FormerRepublican Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 05:42 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. We'll just means test them like they do SS recipients before they tax 'em.
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LostinVA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 06:13 PM
Response to Reply #1
9. They can't now -- Clinton was a fluke
And he wasn't poor, not just "rich."
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Vinca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 05:43 PM
Response to Original message
3. It's sad you have to be rich to run for the office, but
that seems to be the case. I don't begrudge them their money, but it makes me mad as hell they forget the regular people. Wouldn't it be nice to elect someone who pumps his (or her) own gas and shops for groceries with mere mortals?
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FlemingsGhost Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 05:46 PM
Response to Original message
4. It would be a start.
Edited on Sun Nov-27-05 05:46 PM by FlemingsGhost
I'm with you, ck. Americans need to stop believing that the wealthy elite are going to genuinely represent their best interests. Our "leaders" are nothing more than walking, talking conflicts of corporate interests. When folks stop believing in an electoral process that is nothing more than "two-party" fascism ... revolution.

It is so sorely needed, if we are to thrive as a nation.
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chat_noir Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 05:47 PM
Response to Original message
5. Who was our least wealthy president?
Carter?

Seriously, I don't know the answer.
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Aviation Pro Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 06:07 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. Gotta be Truman....
eom
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LostinVA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 06:15 PM
Response to Reply #6
10. I'd say Andrew Johnson, if we're choosing between all of them
Edited on Sun Nov-27-05 06:16 PM by LostinVA
With Truman and Clinton next. Johnson was truly born in abject poverty, was lower class and illiterate until about his marriage, and was never, ever a rich man by any means. Grant didn't have much money, but his wife did, although not so much at the end. It's why he wrote his autobiography while dying in acute agony from cancer -- he would get a huge amount of money for it, and wanted to secure his family financial security after his death.
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Geoff R. Casavant Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 11:06 PM
Response to Reply #5
12. Truman may have been the least wealthy at the time
of his succession, but Nixon came from the lowest poverty as a child.
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pushycat Donating Member (401 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 06:10 PM
Response to Original message
7. Public-financed elections make it possible for ordinary people
to run for office. Old money, new money, tiny money or no money, it wouldn't matter so much.

Things like the Fairness Doctrine also help prevent 1-sided public political conversations. All this is founded on clean elections.

Paper ballots, hand-counted at the precinct level would literally put our votes back into our hands, not the corporations who count them now.
Clean elections financed by public money would keep democracy alive and functioning.

Not sure what we have now except a lot of corruption, fund raising efforts and a hugely uneven dist of wealth that is so FUBAR.
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Mutley Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 06:12 PM
Response to Original message
8. They should at least pay for their own food and utilities and such...
What is the point of receiving a salary if they don't have to pay for anything with their own money?
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PsychoDad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 07:45 PM
Response to Original message
11. Politicians are the biggest welfare queens....
And they can give themselves a pay raise while cutting welfare benefits to the needy.

Disgusting.

Perhaps the income and medical benefits of elected officials should reflect the poorest people they represent, not the richest.

I bet there would be quick changes in the minimum wage as well as health care, education, housing and welfare overnight.

I can dream.

Peace
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Disturbed Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-27-05 11:10 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. Aren't the majority of Congress persons rich?
Don't (most) of them have over $500K in assets before they are elected? Many of them are millionaires aren't they? Are there any stats on this?
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No Exit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-28-05 01:10 AM
Response to Original message
14. How about we do like in the first chapter of "The Golden Bough"?
One guy is leader. He remains leader as long as he can. The next guy who wants to be leader has to kill the current leader.

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