You can relax, Fairfield, tax season is officially over. It's no worry for me, because I always over-withhold
and get a nice "gift" from my Uncle Sam at tax time. I realize it's my own money coming back, but
I enjoy that "the-check-is-in-the mail" feeling.
Contrary to the copious comments in the Daily Republic blog
suggesting that I must actually enjoy paying taxes, I don't. However, unlike my many vocal detractors, who
seem to think taxes should be eliminated, our government drowned in a bathtub, and
that we should all exist in some post-apocalyptic Darwinist, "survival-of-the-fittest" world, I understand our government is necessary for the protection of
the 99.9% of us little fish living at the bottom of the economic food chain. But I do wish that paying my taxes bought me better
representation in Congress. Don't you?
In this Daily Republic column, we've discussed the fact
that, in the last election, there were a million more votes cast for Democrats
than Republicans for the House of Representatives, yet the House remains under
Republican control due to their gerrymandering of state districts. And that Republicans have locked-up the
Senate by threatening to filibuster any bill they don't like. And that the Republicans keep trying to prevent
young, old, urban, immigrant, poor, and non-white citizens from voting in
elections. And that conservatives
usually own those magical, black-box electronic voting machines that tell us
who won, without any physical record, even when exit polls say someone else did. And conservatives own most media outlets. And that Republicans benefit most from the
unlimited corporate political donations, sanctioned by the conservative-leaning
Supreme Court. But today, I want to talk
about yet another reason why we taxpayers of America, both Democratic and Republican, are not fairly represented
in Congress.
According to the non-partisan, Campaign Finance Institute,
U.S. Representatives spent an average of $1.5 million in order to get elected
in 2012 and candidates who outspent their opponents won 84% of the time. Since their job only lasts two years before
another election, that $1.5 million divided by the 730 days means that they
must raise about $2,055 in campaign contributions every day they are in
office. And yes, that includes weekends
and holidays. Do they have time to do
anything else, besides beg for money? Senators
are in office for 6 years, but they spent an average of $9.7 million getting
elected in 2012. $9.7 million divided by
2,191 days in office means that they must raise $4,427 every day. Where does that money come from? We taxpayers pay our Representatives and
Senators $476 every day they are in office.
While that may pay for their food, clothing, and shelter, it doesn't
seem to purchase much of their attention.
The wealthy, their corporations, and lobbyists invest
generously in "our" representatives and, as investors, they expect suitable
returns. They influence "our"
representatives to vote for those things that can make them even more money,
like wars, padded government contracts, subsidies, private use of public lands,
non-negotiated pharmaceutical prices, oil and mineral rights, free-trade
agreements, tax and environmental loopholes, access to government-funded
research, punitive laws to fill their for-profit prisons, taxpayer-funded
bailouts, and on and on and on. To top
it off, none of these "big fish" matters are ever mentioned when Congress
discusses cutting spending, only "little fish" items like Social Security,
Medicare, and food stamps. To us
small-fry taxpayers, none of that seems right, but for the big players,
Congress is one well-greased money machine. How can we taxpayers attract Congressional
attention? Share your ideas on the Daily
Republic blog and we'll discuss them next Monday.
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