The New Democratic Legislative Pledge....

[punpirate]

1) Does this piece of legislation help or hurt my ordinary constituents?

2) Does this proposed legislation benefit all my natural constituents, or just a few?

3) Is my decision in any way influenced by multinational corporate lobbyists? Am I taking their word on legislation because I have not sufficiently informed myself of the issues?

4) If this legislation before me involves tax relief, does that tax relief go to the rich and powerful, a corporation, or to the ordinary people? Should I not vote in favor of the Constitutional mandate "of the People, by the People, for the People?"

5) If a proposed bill is before me for consideration, should I recuse myself, or vote against it because I have taken campaign funds from a corporation which may benefit from my vote if I vote in its favor even if I do not personally believe I have been influenced by its help in my election or re-election? Am I voting for the people and corporations who supported me with campaign funds, or am I voting for the people who actually put their votes in my column on election day, even if they could not send me money for my election?

6) If I say I am for a "strong defense," is my intent to genuinely ensure the safety of all my constituents, rich and poor, or am I using a catch-phrase to avoid admitting that I am a captive of the military-industrial complex?

7) Do I have the strength of character to speak truth to power, even when I am one of the powerful?

8) Do I have the strength of intellect and will to call, in public, stupidity for what it is, regardless of the party speaking it?

9) Do I have the determination to inform my constituency of a simple fact: that war always hurts the poor, and never hurts the rich?

10) Have I sought office for self-aggrandizement, or to use my position to further my own views, or have I sought to use my office for the benefit of the least of my constituents, those without power, without wealth, without hope, and to bring justice to the broadest part of my constituency?

I recognize that in each of the above questions, the interests of the ordinary people of this country are at odds with the wealthiest and most powerful in this country, and that I am an arbiter of those competing interests through my legislative vote, and I pledge, always, to ask myself these questions before voting on any bill, and to always favor the interests of my true constituents, the ordinary people of my district, county, state, nation and affirm that campaign money is never the vote which installed me in office, and never will be. I will always favor the interests of the least of my constituents first, and the interests of the wealthiest of my constituents last.



How many of you would expect your representatives, local, state and national to sign such a pledge?

Why not send it to them and find out? Ask them to sign it and return it to you. If they will not, perhaps they do not need your vote in the next election. Perhaps there are candidates in your area who will sign it and deserve your support. Sometimes it's as simple as that.

Cheers, all.

[displacedtexan]

1. i would ask for proof

repukes would just lie and tell you what you want to hear.

[punpirate]

2. Yeah, I agree, but signed documents...

... are handy, y'know? Evidence, for later use. *smile*

Cheers.

[WildClarySage]

3. But

wouldn't this be a better effort if these questions were put to republicans? Don't we have enough of a task getting dems united and energized to fight the repugs?

[sangha]

4. IMO, it would be better

if we concentrated on spending our time on efforts that have at least some minimal chance of success. We already have plenty of laws, treaties, contracts and agrements, but they don't mean shit if they're not enforced. We have laws about voting that are frequently ignored.

We can't garauntee our rights by getting some politician to sign or agree to some bill of particulars. The Constitution does nothing more than *assert* rights. The only thing that garauntees those rights is the people willingness to fight to protect them.

[punpirate]

5. Yeah, maybe...

... but I'd like to see people send this to their legislators and to the candidates wanting to be their legislators, just to see what they all say. Someone willing to take it seriously might be more likely to live up to their Constitutional obligations to the people. Someone who would not touch it might just already be compromised.

Cheers.

[sangha]

6. I can tell you now what they'll say

"Wha a fine tribute to the values that support our democracy. I'll not only sign it, I'm gonna give you a medal for thinking it up"

Then they'll sign it at a ceremony. The papers will maybe write a glowing article about it, and then it will be promptly forgotten.

Basically, this is a "are you for or against crime?" type question. Everyone is against crime, just as everyone is for the idea that our political representatives will represent us.

[Eloriel]

7. I like this

:kick:

Eloriel

[punpirate]

8. Thanks, Eloriel...

Cynicism goes only so far in the political arena, and then collapses under its own weight. *smile*

Pushing for better isn't wrong, however naive it may seem.

Cheers.

[AngryWhiteDemocrat]

9. Consider it signed

Jeff Seemann, aka AWD