Reforming the Leviathan state
10/16/12
By Jerry Shenk
If the excesses of political Washington are to be corrected, the leviathan state contained and good governance restored, the temptations of officeholders to place personal interest over public service and the competing claims of special interests must be eliminated.
Pay-to-play has become routine in government, however, most who complain about big money in the political process cite only a need to ban it, while overlooking the systemic governmental schemes which attract it.
There will always be money in politics, but political and financial self-interests can be erased by guaranteeing transparency and removing incentives to offer or solicit votes, cash and favors. America doesn't need term limits. Abolishing legislative pensions, limiting the perks of office and eliminating officeholders' waivers to US law would yield similar results.
The massive United States Code, a consolidation of the laws of the United States, is embedded with deals for special interests, politically-favored groups and constituencies. The maddeningly complex, thoroughly-corrupt US Tax Code counts thousands of pages of loopholes, credits and favors for friends, political supporters and generous special interests.
Taxation is meant to raise government revenue, laws and regulations to serve the common public interest, not to attract campaign contributions, repay political favors or bribe voters with their own money. American laws, regulations and taxes, immoral legacies of political, social and economic engineering run amok, are exploited by incumbents to extract campaign funds and votes from the interests affected or likely to be affected by them.
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Read more: Blog: Reforming the Leviathan state
10/16/12
By Jerry Shenk
If the excesses of political Washington are to be corrected, the leviathan state contained and good governance restored, the temptations of officeholders to place personal interest over public service and the competing claims of special interests must be eliminated.
Pay-to-play has become routine in government, however, most who complain about big money in the political process cite only a need to ban it, while overlooking the systemic governmental schemes which attract it.
There will always be money in politics, but political and financial self-interests can be erased by guaranteeing transparency and removing incentives to offer or solicit votes, cash and favors. America doesn't need term limits. Abolishing legislative pensions, limiting the perks of office and eliminating officeholders' waivers to US law would yield similar results.
The massive United States Code, a consolidation of the laws of the United States, is embedded with deals for special interests, politically-favored groups and constituencies. The maddeningly complex, thoroughly-corrupt US Tax Code counts thousands of pages of loopholes, credits and favors for friends, political supporters and generous special interests.
Taxation is meant to raise government revenue, laws and regulations to serve the common public interest, not to attract campaign contributions, repay political favors or bribe voters with their own money. American laws, regulations and taxes, immoral legacies of political, social and economic engineering run amok, are exploited by incumbents to extract campaign funds and votes from the interests affected or likely to be affected by them.
---
Read more: Blog: Reforming the Leviathan state
