About that Inhaling....

I've been thinking about running for the Senate.  No.  Really.  Stop laughing.  It's not a new thought.  While I was in high school, I started campaigning for President.  Yes, of the United States of America.  People used to ask me if I wanted to be the first woman President, and I would answer, "Nope, the youngest."  At the time, I was hoping we would have had a female President before 1996, which was when I had to be elected to beat JFK in the youngest department.

As you can see, I missed that deadline.

These days, I don't want to be President.  Damned good thing, eh?  Have to keep my dreams somewhat within the stratosphere even if they never will be totally down to earth.

But the problem with running for political office is that I'm too damned honest.  Yes, I inhaled.  A lot.  Many things that were inhalable.  But not since 1989.  So that's two strikes right there.  Honesty and a past.

The thing about a past is that some people can never forgive.  That past will always be there, and they will always judge you for what happened in the 1980's.  I read recently about an uproar over a Christian person in some political office who actually employed an ex-prostitute.  Oh, the Religious had their panties in a twit over that.  But to me, it seemed that he was doing the most Christian thing.  Jesus didn't hang out with the Religious, after all.  So, this political person was not condemned for his past, but his employee's past was apparently communicable.

So don't stand too close to me.

Back in the Nineties, (why weren't our Nineties "Gay"? Oh, sorry.  Birdwalking) when I heard about all the problems in public education (and that's another tangent for another day), I said to myself, "Self, if you're not part of the solution..."

No, really.  It happened just like that.  I became a teacher to help right a wrong.  Whose wrong?  It didn't matter.  I believe so very strongly in a free public education, and I believed that our children deserved the best.  SO I became the best teacher I could and an advocate for my students who lived in poverty.

Ah.  Now you get it, eh?  We have a big problem with our government.  Not only that, but it's a real problem and not just a fictitious problem created by politicians.  In fact, it's a real problem created by politicians.  Politicians are the problem.  And, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.  Now, I could vote and consider my job done, but I'd still only see politicians getting elected.

A politician is a person who makes political office their career.  It's a great career move if you can make it.  The salary is way up there and the benefits are awesome.  One turn in in our congress, and you're set for life. 

The problem with having only politicians in political office is that everything becomes a career move.  We saw that clearly in the last Texas legislative session.  A government made up of politicians is selfish.  A government made up of politicians caters to the big bucks and the most publicity so they can stay in office and make big bucks, too.

I have come up with a very simple solution to the problem:  Political office should be a public service, not a high paying career.  A Senator shouldn't make more than a school teacher, fire fighter or police officer.  THEIR salaries and retirements ought to be on the line.  Think about the beauty of this.  If political offices were filled with public servants instead of politicians, then they would attract people who care about the public they serve.  They would be dedicated to solving our problems and making sure our country is running smoothly.

In order for this to happen, someone has to take the first step.  So I thought I'd run for Senate and introduce the bill.  What would I do with all that extra salary?  Donate it back to people who need it.