http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2022/03/150-congressmans-horrors.html

#150 Blog Post – Wednesday, 22 March2022

Posted by Denny Hatch

The Simple $7.50/monthSolution

To the HorrorsCongressmen Face

U.S. Representative  Dwight Evans,

Pennsylvania’s 3^rd Congressional District

Last week I was invited to Peggy’s CosmopolitanClub to hear a talk by our Congressman, Dwight Evans. He is very big, huggy-bearof a guy with charm, grace and a phenomenal memory. First elected to thePennsylvania House in 1980, Evans has been involved in politics for more than 40years. He knows Pennsylvania — and the inner workings of Philadelphia and Congress— cold. We’re damn lucky to have him working for us.

My Problemwith Rep. Dwight Evans

He robo-calls once or twice a month ormore to beg for campaign money. We send him money occasionally. But his callstake up time and take me away from my work. When I’m in the middle ofsomething, I don’t want to be interrupted by Dwight Evans.

How Dwight Evans’s Constituency Is Twice-screwed

Membersof the U.S. Congress are paid $174,000 a year plus expenses. The average costto run a winning campaign for Congress is $2 million for every two-year term. Anumber of congressmen are extremely wealthy (e.g., Darrell Issa, representingthe 50^th district of California has a reported net worth of $460million.)

Butthe average member of Congress must spend 4 hours a day—every workday—in anoffsite telemarketing boiler room with a script, pleading with donors forcampaign contributions so he/she can get reelected and keep working in yourbehalf.

 The116^th Congress (2019-2021) was in session 196 days a year. Four hoursof dialing for dollars means they each member of congress spent 784 hoursworking to raise money. That’s 784 hours working for himself and not working forme.

What is more daunting: the average member of the House of Representatives must raise$18,000 a day or be out of a job.

With a term of just two years (mandated by the U.S. Constitution), on the very dayDwight is re-elected, he must start his 4-hour-a-day fundraising schedule all overagain in order to buy his seat for the next cycle. The system stinks. It’sdebilitating. And we, the people, are screwed by being forced to rely onpart-time congressmen.

Should Congressional Campaigns

Be Financed by the Government?

Hell,no! This would grant walking-around money to every out-of-work idiot who declaredfor candidacy. And what about myriad state and local candidates? Government fundingis a lousy idea!

The Raw Numbers for a Congress Personand How

Just $5 to $10 a Month Would Make aDifference

•Number of bodies (men, women and children) in the average congressional district:700,000.

•The Average Number of households per congressional district (@2.5 people):280,000.  (This is the potential raw donorbase).

•The cost of a winning congressional campaign every two years is roughly $2million.

          —OpenSecrets.org

•If ten percent (10%) of those 280,000 households contributed $5 or $10 amonth, here’s what would happen. $5 to $10 per month from 10 percent of the electoratewould mean a $7.50 average.

•  DonorBase:                        28,000

     Avg. Monthly Gift:        x       $7.50

     Monthly Total:                 $210,000

     12 Months/per year:     x          12

                  Grand Total:                    $2,520,000

How to Guarantee the Monthly

$7.50 Pledge Will Be Collected

Takeaways to Consider

•U.S. politicians lead lives of perpetual desperation. (Exception: The U.S. Senate)

•Would you invest in a  company—or flyin a jet plane—if you knew the employees were forced to spend 4 hours a day raisingmoney so they can keep their jobs?

•Cash-starved Congress members are ipso-facto the most inefficient workers ofany organization in the country. We the taxpayers are screwed.

•The obvious solution would be small $5 to $10 credit card donations everymonth to congressional, state and local political election committees justthe same as animal rescuers and children’s hospitals.

•Desperately needed: a patriotic, non-partisan national organization of savvyprofessional fundraisers to put together—and execute—a plan that will free up membersof congress and local representatives to do their jobs on behalf of theirconstituencies.

•Members of the United States Senate need not apply. Below is a sampling from OpenSecrets:

•“The definition of an honest politician is one who, when bought, stays bought.” 

—Simon Cameron (1799-1889)

Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War                                                             

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