Thank you for allowing me to participate in your letter. I've noticed a departure away from representative government and I would like to see senators and congress members recommit themselves to representing their constituency. What do I mean?
In resent history, we have seen congress divided along party lines to such a great degree, that Democrats all vote together as a group, and all vote according to the wishes of the party leaders. In this way, they have abdicated their role as representative of the people in order to give power to a few at the top. I can't believe, for instance, that the Southern Democrats want the same things as the Northern Democrats, who want the same thing as the Western Democrats who want the same thing as the Eastern Democrats. And I suppose the same can be said of the Republicans.
Next, I think congress should fill the position of Speaker of the House with a different person each congressional session. Once someone has served as Speaker of the House, that person should step aside to allow a new person to serve. I'm not asking for term limits as such. But since the Speaker is third in line behind the Vice President and the President in terms of the continuity of government, and since the Vice President and the President are limited to two terms, the Speaker should also.
I would also like it if each State would establish "election auditor" as a profession, establishing the criteria for certification of professional election auditors, educating them, and certifying them, granting them professional status just as medical doctors, architects, and engineers are recognized as professionals. I think for the next 10 years, every election should be subject to a forensic audit. After that, election audits will be performed at random throughout the country to keep honest people honest.
I would like to see the breakup of the teacher's union. I would like to see teachers become professionals also, in the same way that engineers, lawyers, doctors, etc. are professional. Teachers should negotiate their own salaries and be given free reign as to how students are educated. Teachers should be hired and paid based on merit, achievement, and competency. And as a professional, serving the needs of the student and the parent, each teacher should work directly and only with the parents of the students in his or her class.