Concluding thoughts

[Susan Marano <marano_s@hotmail.com>]

       The more I read the thoughts of the other participants  (and the more I listen to what's going on right now on Capitol Hill), the more I'm convinced that the whole process of electing officials has got to be simplified.  I am all for freedom of speech, but do we really have freedom of speech any more in our current process?  As far as I can tell the entire process has now disenfranchised voters and eliminated talented, concerned citizens from running for office. We don't have freedom of speech; we have controlled, manipulated elections.

      Here's what I would do if I were enpowered to do so:
1.  Severely reduce the time period that candidates may run, or even indicate that they are running, for office:  May -Nov. is all we need to get this whole thing done!
2.  Severly limit how much money a candidate may raise for his personal campaign and how much he/she can personally finance the campaign.
3. Have one national primary day in June.  This absurd practice of having primaries over a four month period is antiquated and pointless...and very costly.
4. Eliminate all these loopholes that allow for huge contibutions to an campaign.  And, limit how much the political parties coffers may contribute to an individual's campaign.
5.  Require that all major tv stations give some free primetime air time for each candidate running.  And, most importantly, set limits on how much TOTAL air time a candidate may have on tv.  {The public is really tired of all these outrageous (and excessive) election ads two or three months prior to an election!}
6. Completely eliminate the right of lobbying groups to make monetary and gift contributions. I firmly believe in the right of groups to lobby, but I don't think they have the right to BRIBE candidates with large contributions.

   I want to take the money out of politics as much as possible.  I also want to see a renewed interest in the whole election process.  We need a process that interests voters and encourages civic-minded people to run for office.  We certainly don't have that now.  We also need major election reform.  I can't believe in this age of technology that people are still punching holes in a piece of paper in order to vote!  I realize all these wants are very idealistic and optomistic, but our election process needs more idealism and optimism in it!