went to a primate research center to study where in chimpanzees' brains they get the idea to throw their feces.
“I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture
“I know, I know, my critics will say that these things are insignificant in the grand scheme of things --- just a half million here and a billion there --- really just a drop in the bucket compared to the $15 trillion we’re in debt.
“But I think my namesake, Benjamin Franklin, said it best, 'a penny saved is a penny earned,' and another wise man said, 'take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.'
“Have we gone so far that these basic truths are no longer valid? My presidency says 'NO!,' and my pledge to you, the taxpayer, is that we will make every effort to eliminate the waste, fraud and mismanagement of the hard-earned money that you have entrusted to us.
“Now let’s look at one of the biggest problems in our government --- pork-barrel politics.
“Because of the way our congressmen are elected, they must rely on financial donations from members of their constituency, and unfortunately, those donations come with strings attached.
“Once the congressman is in office he or she is expected to send as many tax dollars as possible back to his constituents to prove his worth.
“Consequently, we have grants such as the $615,000 that was given to the University of California at Santa Cruz to digitize photos, T-shirts and concert tickets belonging to the Grateful Dead, and bridges to nowhere costing millions of dollars.
“If this system is not changed, the hemorrhage of dollars spent on pork-barrel projects will continue to drive our country deeper in debt.
“These are just a few of the reforms we have in mind, and there are certainly more, but they represent a commitment to fiscal responsibility that has been lacking in Washington for a very long time.”
An anchor from Channel 9 raised his hand, “Mr. Foster, you just said that the ‘system’ must be changed. If you’re referring to the way we choose our elected officials, just what changes do you have in mind?”
“Glad you asked,” Ben replied. “The election reforms that I propose are two-fold. The first would be the elimination of the Electoral College. It’s no wonder that voters are reluctant to go to the polls --- they just don’t believe that their votes matter. Were you aware that a candidate can win the popular vote and still lose to his challenger in the Electoral College?”
The anchor shook his head.
“By the way, Missouri has ten Electors. By any chance do you know who any of them were in the last election?”
The anchor shook his head again.
“Well neither do ninety-nine out of a hundred voters, if that many. I believe that if the president were elected by popular vote, there would be a dramatic increase in voter participation because they would feel that they had a definite impact on the outcome.
“The second reform involves campaign financing.
“It is estimated that the Democrat running this year has already amassed a $1 billion dollar war chest, and the Republican will spend somewhere between 500 million and a billion.
“Where does that money come from? I’m not just talking about the presidential election, I’m talking about every election right down to the mayor of the smallest town. It takes dollars to run for office and our elected officials spend valuable time that could be used in governing, raising money for their next campaign.
“No candidate will admit it, but they rely on contributions from business interests ranging from the local car dealer to the giant oil and pharmaceutical companies, and each of these contributors expect something in return.
“Don’t kid yourselves --- elections are bought and paid for by the companies with the most money.
“No one
“I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture
“I know, I know, my critics will say that these things are insignificant in the grand scheme of things --- just a half million here and a billion there --- really just a drop in the bucket compared to the $15 trillion we’re in debt.
“But I think my namesake, Benjamin Franklin, said it best, 'a penny saved is a penny earned,' and another wise man said, 'take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.'
“Have we gone so far that these basic truths are no longer valid? My presidency says 'NO!,' and my pledge to you, the taxpayer, is that we will make every effort to eliminate the waste, fraud and mismanagement of the hard-earned money that you have entrusted to us.
“Now let’s look at one of the biggest problems in our government --- pork-barrel politics.
“Because of the way our congressmen are elected, they must rely on financial donations from members of their constituency, and unfortunately, those donations come with strings attached.
“Once the congressman is in office he or she is expected to send as many tax dollars as possible back to his constituents to prove his worth.
“Consequently, we have grants such as the $615,000 that was given to the University of California at Santa Cruz to digitize photos, T-shirts and concert tickets belonging to the Grateful Dead, and bridges to nowhere costing millions of dollars.
“If this system is not changed, the hemorrhage of dollars spent on pork-barrel projects will continue to drive our country deeper in debt.
“These are just a few of the reforms we have in mind, and there are certainly more, but they represent a commitment to fiscal responsibility that has been lacking in Washington for a very long time.”
An anchor from Channel 9 raised his hand, “Mr. Foster, you just said that the ‘system’ must be changed. If you’re referring to the way we choose our elected officials, just what changes do you have in mind?”
“Glad you asked,” Ben replied. “The election reforms that I propose are two-fold. The first would be the elimination of the Electoral College. It’s no wonder that voters are reluctant to go to the polls --- they just don’t believe that their votes matter. Were you aware that a candidate can win the popular vote and still lose to his challenger in the Electoral College?”
The anchor shook his head.
“By the way, Missouri has ten Electors. By any chance do you know who any of them were in the last election?”
The anchor shook his head again.
“Well neither do ninety-nine out of a hundred voters, if that many. I believe that if the president were elected by popular vote, there would be a dramatic increase in voter participation because they would feel that they had a definite impact on the outcome.
“The second reform involves campaign financing.
“It is estimated that the Democrat running this year has already amassed a $1 billion dollar war chest, and the Republican will spend somewhere between 500 million and a billion.
“Where does that money come from? I’m not just talking about the presidential election, I’m talking about every election right down to the mayor of the smallest town. It takes dollars to run for office and our elected officials spend valuable time that could be used in governing, raising money for their next campaign.
“No candidate will admit it, but they rely on contributions from business interests ranging from the local car dealer to the giant oil and pharmaceutical companies, and each of these contributors expect something in return.
“Don’t kid yourselves --- elections are bought and paid for by the companies with the most money.
“No one
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