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The Public Policy
Bailing Out Teachers
That’s what today’s Bill with No Name intends to do, in a big political payback to the teachers unions.
Democrats on Capitol Hill are literally taking food out of the mouths of the most needy to pay back their political cronies. Today, the House will vote on the infamous Bill with No Name, H.R. 1586 (originally the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act), which contains a $26.1 billion bailout for financially strapped state governments. Much of the money will go to public employee unions, in the form of a $10 billion “Education Jobs Fund” to supplement state education costs. This comes on top of a $53.5 billion bailout of unionized teachers in the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund — some of which is still unspent. Worse, the new legislation would impose $9.7 billion in permanent tax increases.
The failing economy is not the only reason school districts are seeing shortfalls. The Wall Street Journal reports that school district spending has been out of control for at least a decade and is far out of sync with enrollment growth. As the Journal notes, “total education spending grew by 32% percent between 1999 and 2009, while K-12 enrollment has grown by less that 1% each year over the same time period.”
In some cases, unions have prevented state and local governments from making needed cuts in their budgets. For example, earlier this year the Milwaukee School Board announced that it was laying off 428 teachers due to budget shortfalls. The average Milwaukee teacher receives only $56,000 per year in salary, but also gets a generous $40,000 in benefits, including a health care plan that costs $26,000 per family, compared to $14,500 for private employees. The school board sought to cut costs and to keep the teachers by implementing cuts in benefits. A proposed health care plan would have instituted co-pays expected to yield $47.2 million in savings, more than enough to save every teacher’s job. The union refused to bargain, instead opting for layoffs.
Milwaukee school system superintendent William Andrekopoulos said he was “surprised” at the union’s reluctance to negotiate to prevent the layoffs, but H.R. 1586 provides a possible explanation for the union’s behavior. The Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA) may have been gambling on the prospect that congressional Democrats would bail them out. The union’s executive director, Pat Omar, said, “The problem must be addressed with a national solution, a federal stimulus package that will restore educator positions.”
And what kind of benefits is the union seeking to protect? Coverage for Viagra, for starters. The MTEA has asked a judge to order the school board to reinstate erectile dysfunction drug, which was removed in 2005 to save money in its health insurance plan. Adding the drug would cost taxpayers an additional $786,000 per year, or the cost of 12 first year teachers.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said State Rep. Jason Fields, a Milwaukee Democrat. “The fact that is the point of contention is kind of frightening. What are our priorities? I’m all for love and peace. But almost 1 million dollars? And you go to court over this issue?”
For public employee unions, this is payback for their extensive support of Democratic politicians. The Center for Responsive Politics lists the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees as second on its Top All-Time Donors list. The National Education Association (NEA) is eighth and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) comes in at 13th.
Combined the NEA and AFT have spent over $58 million on politics since 1989, with over 90 percent of that money going to Democrats. No wonder an August 6 Washington Post editorial stated flatly, “The crusade for an education jobs bill, led by the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in Congress, has always struck us as more of an election-year favor for teachers unions than an optimal use of public resources.”
Worse, the Bill is more than just blatant payback; it is also punishment. Every state will be eligible for a bailout except one, Texas, the only state deemed ineligible to receive funds under H.R. 1586’s population-based formula.
The carve-out, which could cost Texas $800 million, is part of a spending tug of war between Washington and Austin. Texas can still receive funds but must capitulate to higher education spending levels though 2013 — which Governor Rick Perry opposes as unconstitutional.
Texas used $3.2 billion of last year’s federal stimulus to shore up the state’s rainy day fund, angering many who wanted to increase state spending. The push by congressional Democrats — including some from Texas — can be seen as a larger effort by the federal government to mandate and increase state spending.
If the Bill with No Name teaches us anything, it’s that in today’s political climate being fiscally responsible will only bring punishment. So, if states want Washington to play nice with them, they need to follow its example and spend, spend, spend!
Letter to the Editor View all comments (45) | Leave a comment
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Average Infidel| 8.10.10 @ 6:44AM
And we wonder why many Dem controlled states and their handlers are fighting for their political lives-not. Sure when all the money is spent on anything and everything other than the benefit of our children, what then will be there excuss while we are escorting them to the gallows? Revenge is best served COLD.
gypsy| 8.10.10 @ 10:34AM
Just so its clearly understood, those of us who are true Americans and rank and file teachers want NOTHING to do with this!!! Its not just that this money is a multi billion dollar bribe to union "leaders", not one cent of which will ever end up in my pocket. Its not just that many of us bitterly resent our union dues being funneled to traitors and tax cheats running for office, instead of to actually HELP us working teachers in our day to day lives in the classroom. No; most important is that we are not firgging VAMPIRES trying to living off the blood of our fellow citizens!!! This money doesnt just drop out of the sky: it comes from the people who bag our groceries, cash our checks, give us car loans, fix our teeth, build our homes, etc etc etc.
I LIVE WITH THESE PEOPLE!!! I live in the same neighborhood that they do!!! Even if I was a heartless asshole, how much of a good idea is it to act as if I don't give a damn if they go underwater, as long as I remain afloat???
Mike| 8.12.10 @ 8:49AM
It's really sad that your viewpoint, which I would be willing to bet is probably the dominant one for teachers, is completely obliterated by the tripe put out by union leaders and their cronies in the media.
Longplay| 8.10.10 @ 7:54AM
School funding is indeed out of control. I attended highschools that used old handball courts and quonset huts for classrooms and got a better education than my children got in a high-class neighborhood highschool that just had to build a second sports center to keep up with the Joneses in the next town over. This from the people who are always whining about not getting enough money for their great work creating several illiterate generations.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 8.10.10 @ 7:57AM
The Republicans have some choices here if they act quickly. They could ask the House Leadership to change the name of the bill from H.R. 1586 to H.R. 666 with the promise to consider it at that point.
They could also point out to the public that is is just the result of another Obama lie, i.e., no more bailouts. This is a bailout financed with more borrowing.
Someone in D.C. should come up with a Social Security Trust Fund borrowing meter to show how each bill ravages the social security deposits.
For instance this bill would deplete the Trust Fund by 26 billion so it's the equivalency of robbing a monthly social security check from 21 million Americans.
At that point the Republicans can announce to the public that we have a shortage of workers paying into the system, and too many taking out of the system. They can then tell the Democrats that if they can create some real jobs and not just save jobs they will go along with them at some future point.
Emile| 8.10.10 @ 8:13AM
It is clear that schools aren't doing their job,but consider the classroom teacher. She's (usually a woman)under educated,indoctrinated with Deweyite propaganda,infantilized by a totalitarian administration (you should meet the spineless backstabbers who run the place) given pointless paperwork,and required to try to convey our culture to uninterested,sometimes psychotic children who can't be disciplined. Few peopel who criticize public educaation could stand the gaff. Charter schools could be an answer but only with a much revised curriculem.
ton| 8.10.10 @ 8:44AM
As a former teacher, I speak from experience when I say that the typical government school is populated with teachers and administrators who have become the new dependency class of the Democratic party. Teachers for the most part are over-paid for what is essentially a part-time job (180 days/year, 7 hours/day) with little responsibility, no accountability for results, no reward for merit and no consequences for failure. Teachers typically know nothing of economic reality or the free market; have never made a budget, worked with a client, made a sales presentation, worked 20 hours a day to meet a project deadline, hired and fired employees, got up at 4:00 AM to catch a flight to respond to a client's demands.
Teachers and admins are insulated from economic conditions, protected by unions and/or feckless legislators from market cycles, and then rewarded with lifetime pensions and health care benefits that would make a congressman blush (eg. taxpayer-funded Viagra). Retired teachers in my home town are buying second homes at the beach while the blue-collar men and women who support them are looking for work at restaurants.
And in spite (or because of) lavish funding, opulent buildings, and myriad federal initiatives, the "product" is a dumbed-down, politically correct secularism and ever-worsening test scores.
There is only ONE way to break the stranglehold of the government edu-crates -- privatization.
PolishKnight| 8.10.10 @ 12:16PM
I hate to attack public school teachers because growing up I certainly had many who were fine mentors, but as a profession, it has become corrupt to the point of collapse. Apologists for them, often with a leftist special-interest agenda, like to claim that teachers are "underpaid" and when it's shown that they are not, they waffle: "Well, they are underpaid in comparison to similarly qualified, educated professions."
Oh really? How many English lit. and women's studies graduates do you know with high salaries for the region and an amazing pension package? Plenty of professions are low paid but require high degrees and yes, most of them are staffed by women. This isn't due to sexism on part of the employers but rather women themselves: Women are able and willing to marry up so that they can pursue careers for enjoyment rather than fiscal responsibility, it's a choice they rarely offer to men. Women earn 10 cents less on a dollar for "similar" work, but nobody notices the massive benefits women collect from men and society.
Back to teaching: In Fairfax county in Northern Virginia, I laugh when teachers propoganda mill claims that the prosperity of the region is due to the areas "fine educational system". Yeah, right. And being just over the river from the biggest money mine in human history has NOTHING to do with it!
Education should be privatized with student loans set up for parents to fund their childrens' K12 education and multiple accredation bureaus with different tiers. Come to think of it, the same should apply to the AMA and other medical accredation as well. Cut back the costs for medical school and for doctors to come to the country along with tort reform (and crack down on illegal immigration) and watch THOSE costs plummet too!
Louis Jenkins| 8.10.10 @ 8:53AM
More spending for the children. Yet the children are out of control, the parents (responsible ones that is) are pulling out their hair, and the Congressional leaders are backslapping themselves because of the wonderful job they're doing. Can't let the schools do without now can we. It's time to tear it all down and start over. Chalk board and eraser, no computers, and some corporal punishment. That would be a good beginning. Get rid of the walk mans, texting, and make the kids wear their pants around their waist for a change. And if the kids want to drop out, let them. Then maybe we can talk about adding some money to the system. Until then we're throwing bad money after bad money.
ShortNSweet| 8.10.10 @ 10:56AM
It's not the school's responsibility to teach our children fundemental respect for others, good behavior and personal beliefs. That is the responsibility of parents! Parents are failing the children!
hardcard| 8.10.10 @ 9:21AM
I thought obamasoros said" NO MORE BAILOUTS" Gee !!! I guess I'm mistaken, he said "One More Bailout" That's the ticket!!! Wake up!!!
Stan Redmond| 8.10.10 @ 9:31AM
In every store in my city I see jars for change from local schools asking to help little Johnnie buy school supplies, or support the glee club, or give money for new pencil erasers. I am bombarded by school children peddling garbage, cookie dough and the like, like whores for their pimps at the school administration building. SCREW 'EM!!! I pay an insane amount of property taxes to support these useless lousy school and the rest of us taxpayers are now giving (having our cash stolen from us) billions more for "schools." The term I'm looking for is "charity fatigue." There use to be a time I happily donated money to schools. Not anymore. Begrudgingly I pay more taxes to support these useless and corrupt organizations. They are worse than organized crime and operate their criminal enterprise with the full force of the federal government behind them. I'm not one to say "but some public school teachers are really great" because they are all part of the childhood indoctrination program. They are on the same boat and shall all sink on the same boat.
Mark| 8.12.10 @ 10:16AM
You know, I feel the same way every time I am sitting at a stop light and some fireman holding a boot in his hand begs me for money. These vampires utilize taxed resources to enable their "fund raiser." I wonder what the public cost is for these activities, not to mention the opportunity cost we pay if there actually is a fire.
Clinton nee Publius | 8.10.10 @ 9:58AM
The education industry represents all of the pitfalls of the statist/socialist approach to managing society for the benefit of all. There is no accountability in the system because the government intentionally eliminated competition. Public education must be privatized and a new system provided that provides open access where schools are pitted against all other schools, all grades are pitted against all other grades, all teachers against other teachers and all outcomes against all other outcomes. True educational competition will eliminate the waste, eliminate the useless teachers, eliminate the useless curricula, eliminate the failures and make our education system actually more efficient.
Indeed, education joins retirement insurance, health care and housing as the new age examples of what will have to be privatized in order to save it from government's attempts to corrupt that which we need for government's sole benefit.
ShortNSweet| 8.10.10 @ 10:34AM
I have a son starting his third year and a daughter starting her second year in college. We moved to the community where my kids grew up because of the SCHOOL! With two honor graduates I had no worry of their ability to succeed as college students, but when they arrived at the university their was a rude awakening for them both. There is a vast gulf between high school and college. Teachers are under qualified, and are held by the school administration to one standard, Benchmark Exams, which determines the amount of money alloted to the school district. They don't care if your child is held by the chin and stuffed full of useless information that the government determines to be relavent (i.e. Darwin's stupid theory). If the child doesn't understand the information, as long as they can memorize it long enough to take the test, they couldn't care less. It is all about the money. The children don't matter. I visited the school on several occasions throughout my children's school years because a lesson was half-heartedly taught, my child would say, I just didn't get it, and he/she said we don't have time to stay on the subject, we've got to keep up. Thus, the child never learned that lesson. Well, I never stood for that. I pounded right up there and made sure they taught my child the lesson. Unless a parent is that involved, their child will be mowed down, and passed on without the knowledge they require in this world, and without the ability to succeed. Now, we fought tooth and nail to get every single less LEARNED, and there is still a vast gulf! Reward them, for that?!?!? I say, make them work year around like the rest of us, and then they should have plenty of time to stop and help the child UNDERSTAND what they hadn't had time to before. The standards are pathetic! The money should NEVER be spent, but if they do it - they need to figure out how to help the CHILDREN! NOT THE TEACHERS!!!!
Oldefarte| 8.10.10 @ 1:13PM
Typical of CHICAGO WAY corruption politics. I smell IMPEACHMENT coming next year!!!!
George S| 8.10.10 @ 1:22PM
This is the very definition of Big Government, a self-sustaining monster that feeds off the taxpayers. When a teacher, tax collector or social worker gets hired, the government grows -- the new employee will vote his economic interest which is taking the money in the form of taxes. This enables the government to hire another unit of labor, repeating the cycle until the employees become a voting bloc.
Give government the power to educate -- then they hire voter/teachers. Give the government the power to provide health care -- then they hire voter/social workers. Why do you think the SEIU is gung-ho for ObamaCare? Because their function would be to petition (threaten?) government with their votes to assure that wealth is transferred to the health care infrastructure which gets kicked back to the government to enact regulations and hire more people to keep it in perpetuity, with the crumbs falling to medical supplies. Why do you think it cost almost twice as much to educate public school kids than private school? This is the reason for this bill. Just wait until ObamaCare kicks in and then watch what happens to the size, scope and power of the public sector. $26 billion would chump change.
Ned| 8.10.10 @ 1:42PM
Disclaimer: I work in the belly of the education beast, and it's worse than you fear. The idiots in this place can't balance a budget to save their souls... and that level of competence is systemic.
So, here's some thoughts... why do schools only operate eight months per year? That started so the kids could help on the farm in the summer... how many kids these days do you suppose have ever even BEEN on a farm?
Why do schools start at 7:30 and get out at 2:30, except on Wednesday when they finish at noon? And who benefits from that abbreviated schedule (hint: it ain't the kids)?
Education students typically make up the bottom third of their college graduating class, make far above the national average in salary and benefits, can't be fired or even disciplined, get four MONTHS of paid vacation every year, and still whine about being "underpaid". Compared to what?
American teachers major in "education", and dabble in an actual subject. European teacher major in a real subject, and then add on a fifth year of how to teach. Which do you suppose works better, and why don't we do that? Because it's too difficult for the wanna-be teachers here?
Mrs. Barry Bullshit has staked out her turf, “fixing” childhood obesity. And yet, schools around here don’t permit strenuous activity, and have made all the PE classes coed. Kids are not even allowed to shower, where we were required to, and since they haven’t done anything, probably don’t need it anyway. Most of the PE teachers are women now, instead of the retired Marines we got in the ‘60s, so you can imagine what constitutes “exercise”.
In my job I am aware of building construction projects. EVERY single time we do a remodel, the brain trust here “forgets” that we need to have a fire alarm installed before the new building can be occupied. So, there is an annual scramble to add fire safety equipment. Could somebody maybe write that down for next year?
My kids are out of K-12 now. We moved to another city, across the lake, to avoid their having to go to the district where I now work. But even in the "upscale", successful district that we moved them to, the teachers are at best "adequate", and at worst vindictive and petty. Our eldest has some learning issues, and the best thing we could do for him was to get him OUT of their "special classes", and into outside tutoring... and that is in one of the best districts in the state.
In that top rated district, we recently lost an entire cadre of older teachers, who quit rather than teach the dumbed-down
curriculum that was being pushed down on them, but the district insisted they use because the new teachers could not handle the existing, better one... it was too “hard” for the TEACHERS!
Two years ago we cut 90 people out of the support staff here to try to make budget. And then we created 13 new Director positions and spent half again as much as we’d just saved.
This district makes headlines for things like expelling a 3rd grader for accidentally bringing an inch long “GI Joe” .45 pistol to school in his backpack. Their “Zero Tolerance” policy is joking called “Zero Intelligence” by EVERYONE. And they are proud of it.
Punch line – teachers are vastly overpaid. Public schools are incredibly top heavy and bureaucratic, and they actively discourage innovation. As a priority, “teaching” is down near the bottom, well below “diversity’, “GLBT” activism, time off, higher pay, more computers (which add nothing to the classroom), and political indoctrination. Public schools are a perfect reflection of the governments that create them; inept, biased, overbearing, marginally capable, and grasping.
The Doktor| 8.10.10 @ 2:13PM
What this is saying is that the Milwaukee school system cannot get up the money for the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association.
Petronius| 8.10.10 @ 3:07PM
Show me a teacher and I'll show you a slug. When I entered the work force, the people I knew who went into education did it for the perks, the time off, and the lack of any threats their comfort that the private sector imposes such as competition and the necessity of making a profit to remain viable in the market. Teachers hate the market. They love their litter box.
KyMouse| 8.10.10 @ 4:36PM
For some good news about education, I'll mention the West End School, in Louisville, KY (www.westendschool.org). It was founded five years ago by a former private school principal and his wife, who had become concerned about black students who did well during that school's summer school program, but returned in the fall to inferior public schools in the mostly black West End.
The couple sold most of their possessions to start the school, which provides year-round boarding for at-risk boys in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. At first, the boys and the couple lived in a very modest house, but now there is a dorm at the school, which is several classrooms inside an older school building. (I've heard that there are even dorm rooms available for students' grandmothers, who often are their sole caregivers).
The boys and the school's leaders even go on vacation together, to places the boys would probably never have been able to visit.
The ultimate goal is the for the boys to enroll in good colleges. Along the way, they learn good manners -- when I visited the students (at that time, there were eight) in class two years ago, they stood, walked over to me, and introduced themselves while shaking my hand -- and they say grace before meals, and say their prayers at night.
Tuition is paid through individual donations, and gifts from corporations and foundations. Many of the teachers have been retired teachers or professionals in other fields.
Yes, the student body is small, but what a great model for what education can be without government interference!
Bill P | 8.10.10 @ 5:41PM
As a conservative educator, while I share a disdain for the authoritarian mindset of many school administrators, for the leftist slant of the unions and teacher education programs, and for the anti-intellectual lack of standards undergirding "progressive" education, I am somewhat surprised and disheartened by the vitriol of some of the comments. The destruction of the public school system in order to replace it with an entirely market-driven model is as radical a social experiment as any. A proper conservative approach, recognizing the fundamental importance of a well-educated populace for a functioning constitutional republic, should focus on limiting the role of the federal government in public education, which is properly reserved under the 10th amendment for the states. Localism is, historically, a much stronger tenent of an intellectually robust conservativism than is a radical application of corporate management which usurps local governance and neighborhood schools.
Roy| 8.11.10 @ 1:35AM
"Radical" maybe, but not exactly "experimental" since humanity got along without government school systems for the first 9,999,800 (give or take) years of its existence.
In any case, limiting the federal government's role is exactly what this thread is about. The federal government is stepping in to bail out failed local school systems to curry favor with teacher's unions.
Xanthippus| 8.10.10 @ 6:11PM
There's a joke to the effect that the day the entire federal budget is spent on education, will be the same day every student in America is illiterate!
Houston Rao| 8.10.10 @ 6:32PM
Being from Texas, I wonder if this means that Texans will get a cut in their federal taxes since we are not being covered in this bill.
On another note, 160,000 saved teacher jobs equals about $120-$150 million in union dues which should go nicely to funding Deemocrat campaigns.
ShortNSweet| 8.11.10 @ 9:05AM
Incredible observation! And frighteningly true!
Marc Jeric| 8.10.10 @ 11:11PM
I escaped from a communist hell some 53 years ago. The only difference that I can see between that hell and the one I escaped from is that there the communists always voted 99.9% for and here the Democrats vote 60% for.
Brian| 8.11.10 @ 12:23AM
The $26 billion will enable the big cities to redirect money into "get out the vote" activities as this critical election nears.
Teacher of the year | 8.11.10 @ 8:44AM
I hear a lot of crying here. I am a middle school teacher in Oakland Ca. I love my job and wouldn't change for the world. The problem here is that the state doesn't allow parents to discipline their child's drug induced outrageous behavior, or CPS gets involved, steals the child and puts them on more drugs! Then the little tyrant shows up in front of room 32 and wants to disrupt my class. Ha! If you have any idea how much time I waste with discipline, you would understand why the others who come from a good family and are not loaded up on Ritalin don't get the chance to learn anything.
Yes, we do get vacation time. One week for thanksgiving, another for Easter, 2 for "winter holidays," and 8 weeks for summer. We deserve it. I know we are all burnt out ( yes, especially the students) by May. If some of you have your way, (including our president)and insist we work 51/52 weeks a year instead of 37, we will all be in mental institutions. Oops I meant to say on the streets ( we can thank Regan for closing down the psych wards in ca)
oh, and if you think I'm wrong, invite 36 13 yr olds full of hij fructose corn syrup and Ritalin over to your house and try to teach Algebra to them for 2 hours. Now back to my Spanish holiday thank god Michelle and Sasha went home already.
Frank| 8.12.10 @ 2:15PM
Yeah it's the state, it's the parents, it's not poor burnt out you.
But I'm sure if the performance of students ever improves you'll be first in line to take credit, that is if you're not on one of your well-deserved vacations or inservice days.
Irrelevant| 8.11.10 @ 10:22AM
Public education is a dysfunctional, outmoded dinosaur. Subjecting our children to it is abuse.
Yeah, I said it. Public education is child abuse.
It is high time this particular sacred cow is led to slaughter.
Emile| 8.11.10 @ 10:48AM
Grow up! Society needs to civilize its savages (as the young are) Children aren't blank slates and they're little bundles of Id and Ego and
They have to be tamed. Progressive education has taken many of the tools
away from teachers. I challenge the vituprative people who've been venting to spend a day in a class-room of even a good school as a substitute. Test your memory. Didn't you delight in torturing subs? The system needs change-radical change but you won't get workable solutions if they're built on the scapegoating of teachers that I've read here.
Osamas Pajamas| 8.12.10 @ 12:15AM
Phony baloney. Kill the public education system. There was never a godd reason to have any such thing --- it's all been self-serving propaganda by so-called "selfless public servants." What a load of rot!
disdained constituent| 8.11.10 @ 3:43PM
A Haiku for Po' Folk Losing Food Stamps:
Have "skin in the game"
Skin hanging off of bare bones
For Bam and the Mooch.
If you can read this, thank a teacher, quickly, before you die of famine.
Osamas Pajamas| 8.12.10 @ 12:13AM
Aaaay! THtat's the game! Sxck the tax money out of the privately-employed to pay-off the so-called "public servants" --- and then those humanitarian thugs will kick-back millions in political donations to the Democrats. The net result --- overpaid / overbenefited publically-employed goons buying elections with the taxes of the privately-employed. Overthrow them. Destroy them.
Lisa| 8.12.10 @ 9:20AM
The answer is to get the fed. govt. OUT of education - period. Abolish the Dept. of Education, and return education to the states where it belongs.
par4| 8.12.10 @ 4:48PM
Looking at the comments I can safely conclude that no amount of education would help anyone around here. Especially the author of this crap.
rich| 8.14.10 @ 12:16AM
this whole government thing is really pissing off a lot of americans and i stress the word AMERICANS. lets get a few things straight, the way i see it is ,if we want to clean up this so called government. lets start by making it illegal for all government employees to be unionized,they all think they are sitting on a pedestal looking down on us as peasants. last i knew ,if you took a government job you were hired to serve the public , NOT US SERVE YOU!!!!!!! you slobs have taken advantage of the people to long. IF WE WANT TO CLEAN UP GOVERNMENT ,lets start at our local levels and work our way to the top!!!! start by making your local elected officials be held accountable, then your state electees,then lets go to the top to our federal level and clean house. lets put term limits on our congressman/congresswomen 6 years max if you cant get it done in 6 you dont belong in there then. 6 years on senate seats ,along with the house of representatives. lets not forget who is footing the bill for these wanna be politicians . lets not forget america we are the hardworking ,taxpaying citizens allowing this to happen right before our eyes! we need to no longer allow this ridiculous spending to happen, we need to remind these slobs that every red cent this country operates on has been paid for by us taxpaying citizens and again i stress the word CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WE WANT ARE COUNTRY BACK!!!!