Some ideas to clean up campaigns

Finally, the election is over. We have experienced a campaign cesspool.

We hear that the total cost of campaigns is somewhere around $6 billion. And 99 percent of that expense produced nothing but negative commercials.

We need, as citizen voters to ask our newly elected politicians to undertake to make a major overhaul to our campaign systems. For example:

1. Eliminate the electoral process and accept results of the direct votes of those registered voters.

2. Eliminate direct contribution financing. Implement the existing federal tax laws that allow each person filing a tax return to make a donation of $10 to the U.S. Treasury and $5 to their respective state treasury; and these monies to be apportioned to each candidate proportionate to the office for which they are running, to be used for campaign expenses, and all monies to be disbursed to be made a matter of public record.

3. Eliminate primary elections. Set campaigns at no more than 60 days to commence prior to the general elections, subject to fines if the dates are exceeded.

4. Set term limits with one-term residency. President at eight years. senators at six years and representatives at four years, both state and federal levels. Candidate eligibility for office after one-term vacation from office, and these new provisions and guidelines to be put to the “vote test” through federal and state referendums, not the incumbent politicians in their respective legislatures.

One last thought/request: Legislators, please bury the hatchets. Get back to your places in our government(s) and cross the aisle and get “positive forward” action to solve our serious financial crisis and resolve our many domestic and foreign issues to the mutual satisfaction of all Americans and our neighbors around the world.

Robert and Judith Schieck

Antioch